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lift  A. 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/potteryporcelainOObarb_0 


Relief  Tile  Plaque 
Modelled  by  Mr.  W.  W.  Gallimore 

Frontispiece 


THE 

Pottery  and  Porcelain 

OF 

THE  UNITED  STATES 


AN  HISTORICAL  REVIEW  OF  AMERICAN  CERAMIC 
ART  FROM  THE  EARLIEST  TIMES 
TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY 


BY 

EDWIN  ATLEE  BARBER,  A.M.,  PH.D. 

HONORARY    CO'KATOR    OK    THE    DEPARTMENT    OF    AMERICAN  POTTERY    AND  PORCELAIN    IN  THE 
PENNSYLVANIA  MUSEUM  ;  MEMBER  OF    THE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES  OF 
PENNSYLVANIA,  WISCONSIN,  AND  VIRGINIA,  ETC. 


WITH    223  ILLUSTRATIONS 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  LONDON 

27  WEST  TWENTY-THIRD  STREET  24  BEDFORD  STREET,  STRAND 

S%  Jhtickerbotker  §wi8 
1893 


COPYRIGHT,  1893 
BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London 
By  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 


Electrotyped,  Printed  and  Bound  by 

Ubc  IRmcfeerbocfecr  press,  IRew  Jl>orfe 

G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 


PREFACE. 


FOREIGN  writers  would  have  the  world  believe  that 
the  United  States  can  boast  of  no  ceramic  history. 
Even  our  own  chroniclers  have,  singularly  enough, 
neglected  a  branch  of  our  industrial  progress  which  is  not 
altogether  insignificant  nor  devoid  of  interest.  On  the 
contrary,  it  can  be  shown  that  the  fictile  art  is  almost  as 
ancient  in  this  country  as  in  Great  Britain,  and  has  been 
developed  in  almost  parallel,  though  necessarily  narrower, 
lines. 

The  need  of  a  history  of  the  Pottery  Industry  in 
America  has  long  been  felt,  and  has  led  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  present  volume,  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  be 
found  to  possess  some  interest  to  the  student  of  ceramics, 
as  well  as  to  the  collector. 

The  author  claims  that  his  work  is  not  a  mere  compi- 
lation, but  has  been  based  almost  entirely  upon  thorough 
personal  investigations.  Some  of  the  time-honored  fal- 
lacies which  have  been  perpetuated  by  compilers  have 
been  omitted  from  this  record,  and  special  care  has  been 
taken  to  avoid  the  use  of  statements  which  could  not  be 
substantiated.  This  result  could  only  be  reached  by 
patient  and  systematic  research,  by  a  thorough  study  of 

iii 


IV 


PRE  FA  CE. 


the  products  of  the  potteries  of  the  United  States,  and 
by  consultation  with  intelligent  potters  in  the  leading 
establishments  of  the  land.  Much  of  the  material  con- 
tained herein  appears  for  the  first  time,  and  will  doubtless 
form  the  basis  for  other  histories  which  will  follow  later. 

It  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  this  volume  to 
include  the  history  of  every  pottery  which  has  been  estab- 
lished since  the  time  of  Columbus,  or  which  is  now  in 
operation  in  this  country.  Such  a  detailed  review  would, 
even  if  desirable,  be  manifestly  impossible  in  an  under- 
taking of  this  compass.  The  main  purpose  of  the  work 
is  to  furnish  an  account  of  such  of  the  earlier  potteries  as, 
for  any  reason,  possess  some  historical  interest,  and  of 
those  manufactories  which,  in  later  days,  have  produced 
works  of  originality  or  artistic  merit.  Confining  myself 
necessarily  to  these  limits,  I  have  endeavored  here  to 
present  a  condensed  but  practically  complete  record  of 
the  development  of  the  fictile  art  in  America  during  the 
three  centuries  which  have  elapsed  since  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  country. 

I  beg  leave  to  express  my  sense  of  indebtedness  to  all 
who  have  contributed  in  any  manner  to  the  information 
contained  herein,  and  I  desire  particularly  to  extend  my 
thanks  to  Prof.  Edward  S.  Morse,  Mr.  D.  F.  Haynes, 
Prof.  Isaac  Broome,  Mr.  W.  W.  Taylor,  Mr.  L.  W. 
Clark,  Hon.  J.  Hart  Brewer,  Prof.  William  H.  Holmes, 
Dr.  Marcus  Benjamin,  and  Mr.  Edward  Lycett,  for  val- 
uable assistance  and  advice,  and  to  the  publishers  of  the 
Popular  Science  Monthly  for  the  use  of  cuts  which 
appeared  in  my  articles  in  that  journal  on  American 


PRE  FA  CE. 


V 


Pottery  and  Porcelain.  Toward  those  who  have  refused 
or  withheld  information  we  shall  not  be  uncharitable. 
The  illustrations  used  in  the  following  pages  are,  for  the 
most  part,  entirely  new,  and  have  been  made  from  fully 
identified  examples.  I  have  endeavored  to  select  from 
the  numerous  treasures  of  art  which  have  been  placed 
at  my  service  those  which,  in  my  judgment,  best  illustrate 
the  various  classes  of  wares  produced  in  this  country. 
I  am  highly  gratified  to  be  able  to  call  the  attention  of 
lovers  of  art  to  the  remarkable  progress  which  has  been 
made  in  ceramic  manufacture  in  our  midst  within  the  past 
fifteen  years,  and  if  my  efforts  shall  result,  in  any  measure, 
in  the  breaking  down  of  that  unreasonable  prejudice 
which  has  heretofore  existed  against  all  American  pro- 
ductions, I  shall  feel  that  I  have  been  abundantly  re- 
warded. America,  within  the  next  few  decades,  is  destined 
to  lead  the  world  in  her  ceramic  manufactures,  and  the 
future  student  will  be  entitled  to  know  something  of  the 
earlier  struggles  of  the  art  in  this  country. 

E.  A.  B. 

West  Chester,  Pa.,  Sept.  i,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  page 
Processes  of  Manufacture         ......  i 

CHAPTER  II. 

American  Wares  and  Bodies       ......  16 

CHAPTER  III. 

Aboriginal  Pottery   ........  24 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Early  Brick-  and  Tile-Making         .....  46 

CHAPTER  V. 

Early  Potting  in  America  (17TH  Century)  53 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Potteries  of  the  Eighteenth  Century      ....  59 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Operations  during  the  First  Quarter  of  the  Present 

Century       .........  107 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  American  China  Manufactory    .        .        .        .  .126 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Pottery  Industry  from  1825  to  1858   ....  154 

CHAPTER  X. 

East  Liverpool,  Ohio  .......  192 

vii 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    XI.  PAGE 

Trenton,  N.  J.  .        .        .        .        .        .        .  .211 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Potteries  Established  between  1859  and  1876    .        .        .  244 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Cincinnati,  Ohio         ........  273 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Development  of  the  Ceramic  Art  since  the  Centennial    .  304 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Tobacco  Pipes     .........  338 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Ornamental  Tiles      ........  343 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Architectural  Terra-Cotta 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
American  Marks  and  Monograms 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Tiles  for  Decorative  Effect 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Concluding  Remarks 


•  385 

•  399 

•  4i5 

•  423 


Index 


•  433 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Relief  Tile  Portrait  of  Edwin  Atlee  Barber       .       .       .  Frontispiece 

1 —  The  Boyce  Clay  Press,  with  Twenty-Four  Chambers      .       .  2 

2 —  Old-Fashioned  "  Throwing-Wheel  "      ......  4 

3 —  "  Kick-Wheel  "  (as  now  used)   5 

4 —  "Jigger"   6 

5 —  Indian  Pot,  Pennsylvania.     Collection  Wyoming  Historical 

and  Geological  Society    .   26 

6 —  Indian  Vessel,  Pennsylvania.    Collection  Wyoming  Historical 

and  Geological  Society   27 

7 —  Clay  Pipe  (Onondaga),  New  York   28 

8 —  Vase  from  Connecticut.    James  Terry  Collection    ...  29 

9 —  Modern  Cherokee  Pot.    Bureau  of  Ethnology  ....  30 

10 —  Mound  Vase,  Georgia  -33 

11 —  Head  Vase,  Arkansas   34 

12 —  Corrugated  Water-Jar,  New  Mexico.    James  Terry  Collection  36 

13 —  Archaic  Pueblo  Jug,  Arizona   37 

14 —  Double-Handled  Mug,  Utah   38 

15 —  Ancient  Water- Jar,  Arizona   39 

16 —  Ancient  Pottery  Olla,  Arizona   39 

17 —  Ancient  Pueblo  Bowl,  St.  George,  Utah   39 

18 —  Pottery  Dipper,  Montezuma  Canon,  Utah   40 

19 —  Coiled  and  Painted  Bowl,  Cibola   41 

20 —  Fragment  of  Ancient  Pueblo  Pottery.    Painting  of  Antelope  .  41 

21 —  Moulded  Frog  Ornament   42 

22 —  Modern  Zuni  Meal  Jar   43 

23 —  Zuni  Indian  Water  Vessel        ........  43 

24 —  Zuni  Coiled  Jar   43 

25 —  Modern  Pueblo  Water  Vessel,  Cochiti,  N.  M.       .       .       .  44 

26 —  Pennsylvania  Roofing  Tiles  (Eighteenth  Century)     ...  49 

27 —  Stoneware  Money-Bank.    R.  C.  Remmey   64 

ix 


X 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


PAGE 

28  Slip-Engraved  Dish,  Pennsylvania,  1762.    (Barber  Collection) 

Pennsylvania  Museum   68 

29  Tea-Caddy,  Sgraffiato  Ware.    James  Terry  Collection    .       .  69 

30— Large  Slip-Decorated  Dish,  Pennsylvania,  1769.  Pennsylvania 

Museum  Collection   71 

3I  Two-Handled  Puzzle  Mug.    (Barber  Collection)  Pennsylvania 

Museum   74 

32—  Sgraffiato  Dish,  Made  in  Pennsylvania  in  1796,  by  John  Leidy. 

(Barber  Collection)  Pennsylvania  Museum     ....  75 

33 —  Slip-Decorated  Vegetable  Dish,  Made  by  John  Leidy,  Pennsyl- 

vania, 1797    .   76 

34 —  Sgraffiato  Dish,   Pennsylvania,    1826.     (Barber  Collection) 

Pennsylvania  Museum   78 

35 —  Slip  Pitcher  and  Sugar-Bowl.     Made  by  John  Nase  about  1830. 

Barber  Collection   79 

36 —  Deep  Slip  Dish.    John  Nase,  1847.    (Barber  Collection)  Penn- 

sylvania Museum   80 

37 —  Dull-Finished  Sgraffiato  Dish.    Made  by  John  Nase  about  1847  81 

38 —  Sgraffiato  Plate.    Made  by  Frederick  Hildenbrand  about  1830  82 

39 —  Sgraffiato  Plate.    Made  by  Jacob  Scholl,  Montgomery  County, 

Pa.,  1831   83 

40 —  Sgraffiato  Jars.    Made  by  Jacob  Scholl,  about  1830   ...  85 

41 —  Slip  Dish.     Made  by  Benjamin  Berge,  about  1830.  Barber 

Collection   86 

42 —  Pottery  Flower-Vase.    Made  by  Charles  Headman,  1849.  (Bar- 

ber Collection)  Pennsylvania  Museum   87 

43 —  Terra-Cotta  Jardiniere  and  Pedestal.     A.  H.  Hews  &  Co.  89 

44 —  White  Ware  Fruit-Basket,  Blue  Decoration.    Made  in  Phila- 

delphia about  1770.    Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art    .       .  98 

45 —  Pottery  Money-Bank,  Norwich,  Ct.   James  Terry  Collection  103 

46 —  Albany  Stoneware.   Collection  of  Mr.  S.  L.  Frey.    Made  about 

1809  113 

47 —  Fancy  Jug.    "  Carlsbad  "  Mug.   Water  Keg,  Central  New  York 

Pottery  114 

48 —  Porcelain  Vase,  New  York,  1816  115 

49 —  The  Old  Pottery,  Jersey  City,  N.  J  119 

50 —  Toby  Ale  Jug.   Made  by  D.  &  J.  Henderson.   Collection  of  A.  G. 

Richmond     ...........  120 

51 —  Hunting  Pitcher.   Designed  by  Daniel  Greatbach,  Jersey  City 

Pottery  121 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS.  xi 


l'AGE 

52 —  "Worcester"  Vase,  Jersey  City  Pottery.    Decorated  by  Mr. 

Edward  Lycett   122 

53 —  "King"  Vase,  Jersey  City   Pottery,  Decorated  by  Mr.  W. 

Lycett  .       .       .       .       .       ,             .       .       .       .       .  123 

54 —  The  Old  Water-Works,  Philadelphia,  Used  as  a  China  Manu- 

factory in  1825  •  129 

55 —  Tucker  Creamer.    Sepia  Decoration   130 

56 —  "Grecian"  Pitcher.  (Barber  Collection)  Pennsylvania  Museum  133 

57 —  Portrait  of  Judge  Joseph  Hemphill   134 

58 —  Hemphill  Pitcher,  with  Portrait  of  Washington.  (Barber 

Collection)  Pennsylvania  Museum   136 

59 —  Vase,  Napoleon  at  the  Burning  of  Moscow.     Mr.  Ferdinand 

J.  Dreer   137 

60 —  Small  Covered  Flower-Vase,  Sepia  Landscape.      Mrs.  R.  C. 

Hemphill.   141 

61 —  Water-Pitcher,  Decorated  in  Relief.    Mrs.  R.  C.  Hemphill  .  142 

62 —  Hemphill  Vase.    Collection  of  Hon.  James  T.  Mitchell.       .  142 

63 —  Hemphill  Vase,  with  Painting  of  a  Shipwreck      ....  143 

64 —  Hemphill  Porcelain  Tableware.   Collection  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Negus  144 

65 —  Christening-Bowl.    Mrs.  Thomas  W.  Marshall   ....  145 

66 —  Tucker  &  Hemphill's  China  Manufactory.    Philadelphia,  1832- 

'38.    From  a  Vase  Owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Tucker  .       .       .  146 

67 —  Large  Porcelain  Vase,  Over-glaze  Decoration  in  Gold  and 

Colors.    Owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Tucker       ....  147 

68 —  "Vase-Shaped"  Pitcher,  Over-glaze  Decorations  in  Colors  and 

Gold.    Pennsylvania  Museum    .......  148 

69 —  Cologne  Bottle,  Raised   Decorations,  Gold  Tracery.  Mrs. 

Thomas  Tucker   149 

70 —  Night-Lamp  Decorated  with  Rural  Scene  in  Colors.  Mrs. 

R.  C.  Hemphill                                                   .       .       .  152 

71 —  Bennington  Parian.    Blue  Pitted  Ground   167 

72 —  White  Parian.    U.  S.  Pottery   168 

73 —  White  Granite  Ware.    U.  S.  Pottery   169 

74 —  Rockingham  Monument.  Made  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  185 i      .       .  171 

75 —  Flint  Enamelled  Ware,  Bennington  Factory       .       .       .       .  174 

76 —  O'Connell  Pitcher     .    176 

77 —  Porcelain  Pitcher.    Raised  Decoration.    American  Porcelain 

Manufacturing  Company,  Gloucester,  N.  J   184 

78 —  Porcelain  Pitcher,  Made  by  the  Southern  Porcelain  Company 

about  1861.    Owned  by  Mrs.  Edward  Willis   ....  188 


xii  ILL  US  TRA  TIONS. 

PAGE 

79—  Parian  Jug.    Southern  Porcelain  Co.,  Kaolin,  S.  C.    Mrs.  J. 

Stoney  Porcher   l89 

80—  The  Old  Bennett  Pottery,  East  Liverpool,  0   193 

8i_Sage-Green  Marine  Pitcher.    E.  &  W.  Bennett,  1853  ...  196 

82  Recent  Productions  of  the  Edwin  Bennett  Pottery  Company  .  197 

83_PoRTRAIT  OF  MR.  EDWIN  BENNETT   I98 

84—  Thin  China  Tete-a-Tete  Set.    Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Knowles 

Company   202 

85—  Decorated  Thin  China  Chocolate  Pot.    Knowles,  Taylor,  & 

Knowles  Company   203 

86—  Small  Vase,  Relief  Decoration.    Exhibited  at  Chicago  Fair  .  204 

87—  Large  Vase,  Blue  Ground,  Gold  Decorations.    Chicago  Fair    .  205 

88 —  Portrait  of  Col.  John  N.  Taylor   206 

89 —  Portrait  of  Mr.  John  Moses   214 

90 —  Belleek  Vase,  Jewelled  Decorations.   Ott  &  Brewer  Company  .  216 

91—  Belleek  Vase.    Ott  &  Brewer  Company   216 

g2 — White  Granite  Jardiniere.    Ott  &  Brewer  Company   .       .       .  217 

93 —  Portrait  of  Hon.  John  Hart  Brewer   219 

94 —  Base-Ball  Vase.    Modelled  by  Broome   221 

95 —  Pastoral  Vase  and  Bracket.    Modelled  by  Broome     .       .       .  222 

96 —  Parian  Bust — Cleopatra.    By  Broome   224 

97 —  Vases.    Burroughs  &  Mountford  Company   225 

98 —  "Ivory"  Vase,  Royal  Worcester  Style.     Greenwood  Pot- 

tery Company      ..........  227 

99 —  Semi-Porcelain  Plate,  Cobalt-Blue  Border  and  Gold  Printed 

Tracery.    International  Pottery  Company  ....  230 

100 —  Semi-Porcelain  Tableware.      International    Pottery  Com- 

pany   231 

101 —  Shell  and  Cupid  Pitcher — Belleek.    Willets  Manufacturing 

Company   233 

102 —  Large  Vase,  Chrysanthemum  Decoration.    Willets  Manufac- 

turing Company   234 

103 —  Belleek  Tray,  Dresden  Decoration.    Willets  Manufacturing 

Company                                                                        .  235 

104 —  Works  of  the  Willets  Manufacturing  Company,  Trenton, 

N.  J   235 

105 —  Egg-Shell  Porcelain — The   "Engagement"  Cup  and  Saucer. 

Ceramic  Art  Company   236 

106 —  Carved  Vase.    Ceramic  Art  Company   237 

107 —  Two-Handled  Cracker  Jar.    New  England  Pottery  Company  246 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


xiii 


PAGE 


108 —  Semi-Porcelain    Vase.     New    England    Pottery  Company, 

1889  247 

109 —  Jardiniere.    New  England  Pottery  Company     ....  248 

1 10 —  Chocolate  Jug.  New  England  Pottery  Company  .  .  .  249 
in — Decorated  Coffee-Pot,  Dark-Blue  Ground.     J.  E.  Jeffords 

&  Company  *.       .       .      ,       .  251 

112 —  Bone-China   Mug,    Raised  Decorations.      Union  Porcelain 

Works,  1864  ...........  253 

113 —  The  Liberty  Cup.    Modelled  by  Muller.    Union  Porcelain 

Works  255 

114 —  Greenpoint  Porcelain  Vase,  in  Embossed  Gold  and  Jewel 

Work.    Grotesque  Lizards  in  Mat  Gold       ....  256 

115 —  Tete-a-Tete  Set.    Union  Porcelain  Works        ....  257 

116 —  Bust  of  Edwin  Forrest  as  William  Tell.    Union  Porcelain 

Works  258 

117 —  Greek  Reproduction,  Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Works.  Boston 

Museum  of  Fine  Arts  261 

118 —  Chelsea  Faience.   Barber  Collection  262 

119 —  A  "Dengler"  Vase,  Red  Ware,  Modelled  Designs.  Boston 

Museum  of  Fine  Arts  .........  263 

120 —  Inlaid,  Hammered,  and  Embossed  Pottery.    Chelsea  Keramic 

Art  Works  264 

121 —  Crackle  Vase.    Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts      ....  265 

122 —  Plaque  Representing  "Spring."    Designed  by  H.  C.  Robert- 

son, 1879  266 

123 —  Terra-Cotta  Boar's  Head.     Phcenixville  Pottery.  (Barber 

Collection),  Pennsylvania  Museum  268 

124 —  Majolica.  Phcenixville  Pottery  269 

125 —  White- Ware  Pitcher.    Phcenixville,  Pa.     .....  270 

126 —  The  Witch-Jug.    Hampshire  Pottery.    J.  S.  Taft  &  Company, 

Keene,  N.  H  271 

127 —  Vases  by  Mrs.  Maria  L.  Nichols,  1880  278 

128 —  Porcelain  Vase,  Underglaze  Decoration.      By  Mrs.  M.  L. 

Nichols,  1878.    Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art     ....  278 

129 —  "  Ali  Baba"  Vase,  Underglaze  Decoration.     Miss  M.  L.  Mc- 

Laughlin, 1880.    Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art  ....  279 

130 —  White  Clay  Vase,  Underglaze  Decoration.    Miss  Clara  Chip- 

man  Newton,  1880  280 

131 —  Moorish  Vase,  Inlaid  Decoration.    Mrs.  C.  A.  Plimpton,  Cin- 

cinnati Art  Museum  281 


xiv 


ILL  US  TRA  TIONS. 


TAGE 


132— Stone  Jug,  Incised  Decoration.    Miss  Laura  A.  Fry,  1881.  Cin- 
cinnati Art  Museum   282 

I33_Portrait  of  Miss  M.  Louise  McLaughlin   283 

134 —  Old  Rookwood   285 

135—  Portrait  of  Mrs.  Maria  Longworth  Storer       ....  286 

136—  Rookwood  Plate,  Printed  Decoration   287 

I37_ Large  Pottery  Bowl,  Underglaze  Decoration.  By  Mrs.  Maria 

L.  Nichols,  1882.     Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art      ...  288 

138 — Group  of  Rookwood  Vases   289 

I3g — DULL-FlNISHED  VASE.    DECORATED  BY  MR.  A.  R.  VALENTIEN.  PENN- 
SYLVANIA Museum,  Philadelphia   291 

140 —  Mug.    Decorated  by  E.  P.  Cranch   293 

141—  Tile  from  Isaac  Abbott  Set.   Painted  by  E.  P.  Cranch.  Rook- 

wood Pottery   294 

142 —  Hand-Painted  Tile.    Rookwood  Pottery   295 

143 —  Ram's  Horn  Flower-Basket.    Rookwood  Pottery      .       .       .  296 

144 —  Vase.  Decorated  by  Mr.  Shirayamadani.  Pennsylvania  Museum  297 

145 —  The  New  Rookwood   298 

146 —  "  Hungarian  Faience."  Cincinnati  Art  Pottery  Company  .       .  300 

147 —  Canteen-Shaped  Vessel,  "Kezonta"  Ware.     Cincinnati  Mu- 

seum   301 

148 —  Fan-Shaped  Vessel,  "  Kezonta"  Ware   302 

149 —  Bennett  Faience.    Wm.  Lycett  Collection        ....  306 

150 —  Bennett  Faience.    Wm.  Lycett  Collection   307 

151 —  Portrait  of  Mr.  Edward  Me  akin  Pearson   306 

152 —  Mazarine  Blue  and  White  Pitcher,  Raised  Gold  Decoration. 

Wheeling  Pottery  Company   310 

153 —  "  Canton  China  "  Pitcher.    Steubenville  Pottery  Company     .  312 

154 —  "  Canton  China  "  Vase.    Steubenville  Pottery  Company  .       .  313 

155 —  Faience  Vase.    FaIence  Manufacturing  Company.    By  Mr. 

Edward  Lycett         .........  314 

156 —  Porcelain  Vase.    Faience  Manufacturing  Company.    By  Mr. 

Edward  Lycett                                                   .       .       .  315 

157 —  Faience  Vase.    Faience   Manufacturing  Company.     By  Mr. 

Joseph  Lycett   317 

158 —  Fine  Faience  Vase,  "  A  Flight  of  Storks."    Decorated  in 

Gold  and  Bronze  on  an  Ivory  Ground.     Faience  Manu- 
facturing Company   318 

159 —  Portrait  of  Mr.  David  Francis  Haynes   321 

160 —  "  Severn  "  Ware.    Chesapeake  Pottery   323 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


xv 


PAGE 

161 —  Castilian  and  Alsatian  Semi-Porcelain  Toilet  Ware.  Ches- 

apeake Pottery   324 

162 —  Useful  and  Decorative  Semi-Porcelain  Wares.  Chesapeake 

Pottery   325 

163 —  "  Merchant  of  Venice"  Vase.    Chesapeake  Pottery   .       .       .  326 

164 —  Montessan  Semi-Porcelain  Toilet  Set.    Chesapeake  Pottery  .  327 

165 —  Lamps  and  Vases.    Chesapeake  Pottery   328 

166 —  Porcelain  Clock.    Chesapeake  Pottery   329 

167 —  Moorish  Vase  Designed  by  Miss  Fannie  Haynes.    Collection  of 

the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art,  Philadelphia  .       .       .  330 

168 —  "  Calvert  "  Vase.    Chesapeake  Pottery   331 

169 —  Pauline  Art  Pottery,  Edgerton,  Wis.   333 

170 —  Lonhuda  Pottery   336 

171 —  Glazing  Rack  for  Pipes.    Gibble  Pottery   340 

172 —  Terra-Cotta  Pipe  Heads.    A.  Peyrau,  N.  Y.     Collection  of 

Jerome  B.  Gray   ..........  341 

173 —  Some  of  the  First  Fancy  American  Tiles.     Hyzer  &  Lew- 

ellen    .    364 

174—  A  "  Low  "  Tile   346 

175 —  View  of  the  Low  Art  Tile  Works,  Chelsea,  Mass.     .       .       .  347 

176—  An  F.  S.  A   348 

177 —  Plastic  Sketch,  by  Arthur  Osborne.    "The  Milky  Way"       .  349 

178 —  Tile  Stove   350 

179 —  Panel  for  Soda  Fountain   351 

> 

180 —  Portrait  of  Hon.  John  G.  Low   352 

181 —  Encaustic  Tile  Design    .........  354 

182 —  "Old  Age"   355 

183 —  Intaglio  Portrait.    Modelled  Tile   356 

184 —  Six- by  Eighteen-Inch  Panel — "Swallows"       ....  356 

185 —  Twelve-  by  Eighteen-Inch  Panel — "Summer."    Designed  by 

Herman  Mueller       .........  357 

186 —  Ten-Piece  Panel — Six-Inch  Tiles,  12  x  30  Inches.  Designed 

by  Herman  Mueller   357 

187 —  Fifteen-Piece  Tile  Design,  18  x  30  Inches.  By  Herman  Mueller. 

American  Encaustic  Tiling  Company   358 

188 —  View  of  the  New  Works  of  the  American  Encaustic  Tiling 

Company,  Zanesville,  Ohio   360 

189 —  Six-Inch  Relief  Tile.    U.  S.  Encaustic  Tile  Works   .       .       .  361 

190 —  Bacchanalian  Panel.    Nine  by  Eighteen  Inches.  Designed 

by  Mr.  W.  W.  Gallimore.    Trent  Tile  Company    .      -.       .  363 


xvi 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


PAGE 

iqi— 

y 

-Nine-  by   Eighteen-Inch  Panel — "Fishing  Boys."  Designed 

by  W.  W.  Gallimore.    Trent  Tile  Company  .... 

364 

IQ2— 

y 

-Relief    Panel—"  Mignon."      By   Scott    Callowhill,  after 

Lefebvre  ........... 

368 

y  *y 

-Intaglio—"  February  fill  Dyke."    By  Scott  Callowhill,  after 

Leader  ............ 

369 

104— 

y* 

-Beaver  Falls  Stove  Tiles  

369 

195- 

-Six-Inch  Relief  Tile— "  Sappho."    By  Broome  .... 

370 

196— 

-Passion-Flower  Panel.    By  Broome  

371 

197— 

-Relief  Panel — "  Music,"  from  Painting,  Poetry,  and  Music 

Facing.    By  Broome  

372 

198— 

-Dado  in  Romanesque  Style.    Beaver  Falls  Art  Tile  Com- 

pany   

373 

199— 

-"  King  Lear  "  

375 

200— 

-"Winter."    Modelled  by  Mersman  

376 

201— 

•"  Daughters  of  the  Sea"  Facing.   Modelled  by  Mersman 

377 

202— 

-Portion  of  Five-Foot  Frieze  in  Loggia  of  the  Rockafeller 

Mansion,  Tarrytown,  N.  Y  

379 

203— 

-Panel  after  the  French.    Robertson  Art  Tile  Company  . 

381 

204— 

-Panel  Modelled  by  H.  C.  Robertson  after  Dork 

382 

205— 

-The  Wilkes  Screw  Tile  Press  

383 

206— 

-Panel  in  Warehouse,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  Perth  Amboy  Terra- 

Cotta  Company  

387 

207— 

-Three  Kilns.    Perth  Amboy  Terra-Cotta  Company  . 

389 

208— 

-Bas-Relief  in  the  St.  Anthony  Club-House,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Perth  Amboy  Terra-Cotta  Company  ..... 

39° 

209— 

-Military  Panel,  G.  A.  R.  Memorial  Hall,  Wilkes  Barre,  Pa. 

New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Company 

39 1 

210— 

-Panel  in  Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,  New  York.  New  York  Archi- 

tectural Terra-Cotta  Company  

392 

211— 

-Panel  in  Residence  of  Mr.  George  Alfred  Townsend,  Gapland, 

Md.    New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Company 

393 

212— 

-Works  of  the  New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Com- 

pany, Long  Island  City,  N.  Y  

394 

213— 

-Medallion  of  General  Winfield  S.  Scott  

395 

214— 

-Floral  Panel.    Stephens,  Armstrong,  &  Conkling 

396 

— '  y 

215- 

-Medallion  of  Columbus  

397 

216— 

-Finials.    Indianapolis  Terra-Cotta  Company  .... 

398 

217- 

-Light-Blue  Double  Panel,  Oxidized  Silver  Frame.    Low  Art 

Tile.    Designed  by  Arthur  Osborne  .... 

417 

ILL  USTRA  TIONS, 


xvii 


PAGE 

218 —  "Sappho."     Purple-Gray  Glaze,  in  Ivory  Frame  and  Pink 

Plush  Border.     Beaver  Falls  Art  Tile  Company.  De- 
signed by  Prof.  Isaac  Broome        ......  418 

219 —  Olive-Green  Glaze  in  Old  Ivory  Setting.    Low  Art  Tile.  De- 

signed by  Osborne  419 

220 —  Pastoral  Panel  in  Dull  Finish.    Glaze  of  Pale  Claret,  Framed 

in  Old  Ivory.   Trent  Tile  Company.   Modelled  by  Gallimore  420 

221 —  "  Spring  "  Panel.   Pale  Apple-Green  Glaze  ;  Framed  in  Pinkish 

White.    American  Encaustic  Tiling  Company.    Designed  by 
Herman  Mueller  420 

222 —  Three-Tile  Panel — "Twilight."     Blue  Glaze,  Cream  White 

Frame.   United  States  Encaustic  Tile  Works.  Designed  by 

Miss  Ruth  Winterbotham  421 


> 


CHAPTER  I. 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE, 

PREPARATION   OF   POTTERY  CLAYS. 

THE  methods  formerly  used  in  this  country  in  pre- 
paring the  clay  for  the  potter's  hand  were  of  the 
most  primitive  character.  The  crude  material 
was  simply  thrown  into  a  tank  or  pit  and  manipulated  with 
a  spade  or  paddle,  then  taken  out  in  large  lumps  and  cut 
through  and  through  with  a  fine  wire  stretched  between 
the  two  hands  of  the  workman,  the  pebbles  and  other  for- 
eign substances  being  picked  out  as  the  work  progressed. 

In  1835  a  patent  was  issued  to  Adam  Weber,  of 
Womelsdorf,  Berks  Co.,  Pa.,  for  a  contrivance  for  Puri- 
fying Potters  Clay,  consisting  of  a  hollow  metal  or 
wooden  cylinder  with  a  wire  sieve  placed  across  the  bot- 
tom, through  which  the  moist  clay  was  forced  by  means 
of  a  block  or  piston,  fitting  the  cylinder  closely,  and 
worked  by  a  lever,  the  gravel  being  left  on  the  wire 
netting  inside  of  the  tube.  A  similar  apparatus  is  still 
employed  in  some  of  the  potteries  where  coarse  earthen- 
ware is  made. 


2 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Slip-kilns  were  formerly  employed  to  dry  the  clay. 
The  materials  were  first  mixed  with  water  to  the  consist- 
ency of  cream,  and  then  passed  through  a  fine  sieve,  after 
which  the  slip  was  subjected  to  heat  until  sufficiently 
dried  to  be  fit  for  use.  I  have  in  my  possession  a 
drawing  of  the  old-fashioned  slip-kiln  used  at  the  Phila- 


delphia china  factory  of  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Hemphill,  in 
1832.  This  consisted  of  a  long,  horizontal  brick  fire-box, 
at  one  end  of  which  were  built  three  partitions  or  pans, 
one  after  the  other,  in  which  the  slip  was  poured,  and 
flues  passing  around  the  sides  furnished  the  heat  neces- 
sary to  dry  the  clay  to  the  proper  consistency. 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE.  3 


To-day  most  of  the  clay  used  in  potting  is  carefully 
washed  before  being  shipped  to  the  manufacturer,  and 
the  flint  and  feldspar  are  finely  ground  at  the  quarry. 
These  materials,  in  due  proportions,  are  placed  in  tanks 
called  "  plungers,"  with  the  necessary  amount  of  water, 
and  worked,  tons  at  a  charge,  by  machinery,  in  a  short 
space  of  time.  The  mass  is  then  sifted  and  afterwards 
forced  through  canvas  bags  held  in  what  is  termed  a 
"  press,"  the  surplus  moisture  thus  being  expelled.  An 
improved  hydrostatic  press,  made  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Boyce,  of 
East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  and  now  used  in  many  potteries 
with  great  success,  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tion. 

TOOLS  AND   MACHINES   USED   IN   THE    MANUFACTURE  OF 

POTTERY. 

The  potter's  wheel  used  well  into  the  present  century 
was  a  clumsy  and  primitive  affair.  It  consisted  of 
a  perpendicular  beam,  generally  about  two  feet  in 
height,  surmounted  by  a  circular  disk  a  foot  or  so  in 
diameter.  At  the  lower  extremity  of  the  beam  or  axis 
was  a  horizontal  wooden  wheel,  four  feet  across,  possess- 
ing four  inclined  iron  spokes  which  extended  from  the 
beam  to  the  rim  of  the  wheel,  which  the  workman  pushed 
around  with  his  feet.  He  sat  on  a  framework  behind  the 
wheel,  while  in  front  were  piled  the  lumps  of  clay  to 
be  manipulated.  This  contrivance  was  termed  a  "  kick- 
wheel." 

A  great  advance  was  made  in  potters'  machinery  a 
few  years  later,  or  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  present 


4 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


century,  when  the  "  throwing-wheel "  was  introduced  into 
the  more  prominent  factories.  This  was  composed  of  a 
plate  or  disk  which  was  revolved  by  means  of  a  belt  which 
passed  around  two  spindles  and  extended  to  a  large  ver- 
tical fly-wheel  operated  by  a  crank  in  the  hands  of  a 
second  person.  This  upright  wheel  usually  measured 
four,  five,  or  more  feet  in  diameter,  depending  on  the  rate 
of  velocity  desired,  the  larger  the  wheel,  the  greater  the 


2.— Old-fashioned  "  Throwing-Wiieel." 

speed  to  be  attained.  The  revolving  plate  at  which  the 
potter  sat  was  often  ten  or  more  feet  from  the  crank- 
wheel,  and  the  apparatus  was  therefore  cumbersome,  be- 
sides requiring  the  services  of  an  extra  hand.  This 
device  was  a  great  improvement  over  the  old  "  kick-wheel," 
as  it  secured  uniformity  of  motion  and  enabled  the 
operator  to  devote  his  entire  attention  to  his  work.  This 
style  of  wheel,  in  time,  was  superseded  by  the  more  simple 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE. 


form  which  is  worked  by  a  treadle  with  the  left  foot  of 
the  operator,  and  is«still  used  in  many  of  the  smaller  pot- 
teries. The  subjoined  engraving  represents  one  of  these 
"  kick-wheels,"  as  made  at  the  present  time  by  Messrs. 
Taplin,  Rice,  &  Co.,  of  Akron,  Ohio.  This  firm  also 
manufactures  a  power-wheel,  such  as  is  now  operated  in 
the  larger  factories,  which  is  so  constructed  that  the 
velocity  can  be  regulated  by  a  foot  lever. 

"Jiggers"  and  "jollies"  now  greatly  facilitate  the 


3. — "Kick-Wheel"  (as  now  used). 

manufacture  of  circular  and  swelled  vessels,  such  as  jars, 
jugs,  crocks,  cuspidors,  and  umbrella  jars.  A  "jigger"  is 
a  machine  which  carries  a  revolving  mould,  in  which  the 
clay  is  shaped  by  a  "  former,"  which  is  brought  down  into 
the  mould  and  held  in  place  by  means  of  a  lever.  We 
give  on  page  6  an  illustration  of  one  of  the  jiggers  made 
by  Mr.  Peter  Wilkes,  of  Trenton,  N.  J.  A  is  the  jigger- 
head  or  receptacle  in  which  the  mould  is  placed,  which  is 
screwed  fast  to  the  revolving  spindle.  B  is  a  stationary 
iron  column  on  which  the  frame  or  sleeve  C  slides  up  or 


4. — "  Jigger." 


6 

.A 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE. 


7 


down.  D  is  an  iron  fork  which  prevents  the  frame  C 
from  turning.  E  is  the  former  or  profile  which  shapes 
the  interior  of  the  vessel.  The  lever  or  pull-down,  above 
the  horizontal  bar  Ff  gives  a  transverse  motion,  and 
forces  the  former  toward  the  side  of  the  mould,  i  and  2 
are  adjustable  collars  which  are  fastened  by  screws  ;  1  reg- 
ulates the  distance  to  which  the  collar  or  frame  Cmust  be 
lowered  to  give  the  proper  thickness  to  the  bottom  of  the 
vessel,  while  2  acts  as  a  stop  to  prevent  the  frame  from 
being  thrown  up  too  high. 

A  "jolly"  is  a  somewhat  similar  contrivance,  consist- 
ing of  a  revolving  disk  or  wheel  on  which  the  mould  is 
placed.  This  is  used  principally  for  making  plates,  saucers, 
and  articles  termed  "  flat  ware,"  its  speed  being  regulated 
by  a  lever  pressed  by  the  foot  of  the  workman. 

The  potter's  lathe  is  a  machine  similar  to  the  power- 
lathe  used  for  wood  turning,  excepting  that  it  can  be  re- 
versed by  pressure  of  the  operator's  foot.  A  wooden 
block,  made  of  the  proper  size  for  the  cup  or  other  article 
that  is  to  be  turned,  is  screwed  to  the  spindle  of  the  lathe. 

Other  labor-saving  machines  have  been  applied  to  the 
making  of  pottery  to  some  extent,  but,  owing  to  the 
nature  of  the  materials  used,  it  seems  probable  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  work  must  always  be  largely  done  by 
hand. 

MOULDS    AND  MOULD-MAKING. 

The  plaster-of-Paris  moulds  which  are  so  generally 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  pottery  are  made  from  a  finely 
prepared  plaster,  and  the  mould-maker  in  a  modern  pot- 


8  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


tery  is  an  important  personage.  The  model  for  any  piece 
of  ware,  a  jug  for  instance,  having  been  designed  and  fin- 
ished, is  taken  in  hand  by  the  mould-maker,  who  makes 
a  mould  from  it  that  will  part  in  the  middle.  This  is 
called  the  "block  mould,"  and  is  carefully  preserved. 
From  this  a  "case"  is  made,  which  is  a  replica  in  plaster 
of  the  model.  From  this  "  case  "  as  many  working  moulds 
as  may  be  required  can  be  made.  Plaster-of-Paris  moulds 
are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  all  wares  except  such  as 
are  "  thrown." 


PROCESSES. 


Throwing. — When  a  vessel  is  made  by  hand  on  the 
potter's  wheel,  the  process  is  called  throwing.  This  is 
the  oldest  method  of  pottery-making  employed  by  civilized 
man  and  is  still  in  use  in  many  potteries.  A  lump  of 
clay,  of  the  proper  weight  for  constructing  a  particular 
kind  of  vessel,  is  thrown  on  the  revolving  disk,  and  into 
this  the  potter  thrusts  his  thumbs,  and  by  drawing  them 
outward  and  upward  the  plastic  clay  is  rapidly  thrown 
into  the  form  of  a  vessel,  the  walls  being  drawn  up  be- 
tween the  fingers  and  thumbs.  A  wet  sponge  is  then 
pressed  against  the  inside  of  the  revolving  clay  to  smooth 
the  lining,  and  a  small  piece  of  leather  is  held  against  the 
outside  surface  to  render  it  perfectly  regular  and  to  make 
the  walls  of  uniform  thickness.  By  manipulating  the 
clay  in  this  manner,  the  thrower  can  draw  it  up  into  any 
desired  form,  after  which  a  fine  wire  is  passed  across  the 
disk  to  cut  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  loose,  when  it  is  lifted 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE. 


off  and  placed  on  a  board  to  dry,  and  the  process  is  then 
repeated. 

Turning. — When  the  ware  has  sufficiently  dried,  it  is 
placed  on  the  spindle  blocks  of  the  lathe,  and  the  turner, 
with  a  thin  steel  tool,  shaves  the  vessel  to  the  proper 
thickness,  then,  reversing  the  lathe,  he  burnishes  it  until 
the  surface  is  even  and  smooth.  Incised  ornamentation  is 
sometimes  added  by  the  use  of  a  small  wheel,  bearing  an 
engraved  device  on  the  edge,  called  the  "  runner,"  which 
is  held  in  a  frame.  When  placed  against  the  piece  of 
ware,  while  the  lathe  is  running  rapidly,  the  design  is  im- 
pressed around  the  circumference  of  the  vessel.  A  deft 
hand  is  required  to  do  this  work. 

Pressing. — In  making  plates,  saucers,  and  other  flat 
ware,  the  workman,  who  is  called  a  "  presser,"  throws  a 
thin  "  bat  "  of  clay  upon  the  mould  which  forms  the  face 
of  the  piece.  This  is  placed  on  the  revolving  "  jigger," 
and  the  back  is  shaped  by  a  tool  which  is  pressed  upon  it. 
The  piece  is  then  set  aside  to  dry,  after  which  it  is  taken 
from  the  mould,  the  edges  trimmed,  and  it  is  ready  for 
firing. 

In  making  hollow  pieces,  such  as  pitchers,  covered 
dishes,  and  pieces  of  similar  shape,  the  clay  is  carefully 
pressed  into  the  mould,  made  in  two  parts,  which  are  then 
brought  together.  The  interior  is  then  smoothed  and 
the  seams  of  the  mould  are  covered  with  a  strip  of  clay 
which  is  worked  off  smoothly  and  the  mould  is  set  aside 
until  the  plaster  has  absorbed  sufficient  moisture  to  allow 
the  piece  to  be  safely  removed.  The  handles,  knobs,  or 
spouts,  which  have  been  made  in  other  moulds,  are  then 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


fitted  to  the  ware  and  fastened  by  slip.  Then  the  vessel 
is  smoothed  and  finished  and  sent  to  the  "  green  room  " 
to  dry. 

Casting. — This  process  consists  in  filling  a  hollow 
mould,  which  is  divided  into  two  parts  and  held  together 
by  a  strap,  with  liquid  clay  or  slip,  which  is  allowed  to 
stand  the  proper  length  of  time  and  then  emptied  out. 
The  porous  plaster  having  absorbed  a  portion  of  the  mois- 
ture from  the  slip,  which  is  in  direct  contact,  retains  a  thin 
shell  the  exact  shape  of  the  mould,  which  in  a  short  time 
can  be  readily  removed.  In  the  manipulation  of  large 
vessels,  where  the  weight  of  the  shell  would  cause  it  to 
fall  out  when  the  mould  is  turned  over  to  empty  the  slip, 
a  method  has  been  devised  in  Europe  for  forcing  com- 
pressed air  into  the  interior  of  the  mould  to  take  the  place 
of  the  slip  as  it  passes  out,  and  thus  hold  the  shell  in  place. 
By  the  method  of  casting,  mould  seams  are  partially 
avoided  and  a  greater  uniformity  of  thickness  and  even- 
ness of  surface  are  obtained.  Thin  wares,  such  as  Bel- 
leek  china,  are  usually  made  by  the  casting  process. 

KILNS. 

The  construction  of  pottery  and  porcelain  kilns,  or 
ovens,  as  they  are  usually  termed  in  England,  has  changed 
but  little  in  the  past  fifty  years.  They  are  conical  struc- 
tures, built  solidly  of  red  brick,  with  a  lining  of  fire-brick, 
and  are  generally  about  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  inside, 
and  about  the  same  in  height  to  the  crown  or  ceiling, 
above  which  the  walls  are  narrowed  and  drawn  upward 
like  a  chimney  to  furnish  a  draft  for  the  fires.    The  ex- 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFA  CTURE. 


terior  of  the  kiln  is  bound  by  a  series  of  heavy  iron  hoops 
or  girdles  to  give  it  greater  strength.  Around  the  base, 
at  equal  distances,  are  the  fire-boxes  or  chambers  which 
communicate  by  openings  with  the  interior  above  and  be- 
low. These  vary  in  number,  from  eight  to  ten  or  more, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  kilns,  which  in  some  cases  are 
considerably  more  than  sixteen  feet  in  diameter.  In  some 
of  the  Western  kilns  slight  modifications  have  been  made 
in  the  fire-chambers  for  the  employment  of  natural  gas, 
which  is  used  quite  extensively  for  fuel  instead  of  coal. 

Kilns  used  for  the  manufacture  of  hard  porcelain  are 
somewhat  different,  consisting  generally  of  two  stories,  the 
upper  one  being  used  for  baking  the  biscuit,  which  requires 
less  heat  than  is  necessary  for  the  glazing,  which  is  after- 
wards accomplished  in  the  lower  story  where  the  heat  is 
more  intense.  Thus  while  a  lot  of  ware  is  being  baked 
the  first  time  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  kiln,  another  lot 
of  ware,  which  has  already  passed  through  the  first  firing, 
is  being  glazed  below.  This  is  the  reverse  method  usually 
employed  in  burning  earthenware  and  soft  porcelain, 
which  are  either  fired  longer  in  the  biscuit,  at  the  same 
temperature,  or  are  subjected  to  a  greater  degree  of  heat 
in  the  first  firing. 

METHODS  OF   FIRING  WARES. 

Ware  that  is  to  be  burned  in  the  kiln  is  protected  by 
placing  it  in  boxes  or  "  seggars,"  sometimes  called  "  sag- 
gers," made  of  buff-colored  fire-clay.  These  are  made  of 
different  shapes  and  heights,  suitable  for  different  forms 
of  vessels.    The  ware  is  placed  in  these  in  layers  of  white 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


sand.  The  first  seggar,  filled  with  the  "green  "  ware,  is 
then  placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  kiln  close  to  the  side. 
Around  the  rim  of  the  seggar  a  strip  or  "wad  "  of  moist 
clay  is  then  laid,  after  which  another  seggar  is  carefully 
placed  on  top,  forming  a  cover  for  the  one  below.  In 
this  manner  the  seggarsare  piled  to  the  crown  of  the  kiln, 
the  "wads  "  or  cushions  of  clay  helping  to  steady  the  pile, 
or  "bung,"  as  it  is  called,  and  preventing  the  smoke  and 
fumes  from  coming  into  contact  with  the  ware  inside. 
Other  tiers  of  seggars  are  placed  close  to  each  other  until 
the  interior  of  the  kiln  is  full,  after  which  the  doorway  is 
bricked  up  and  plastered  over  with  clay  to  make  it  perfectly 
tight.  The  fires  are  then  started  and  raised  to  the  requi- 
site degree  of  heat  necessary  to  bake  the  biscuit.  The 
length  of  time  for  firing  varies,  according  to  the  body  or 
composition  of  the  ware,  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight 
hours,  usually  the  latter  and  sometimes  even  longer. 

When  the  biscuit  ware  is  ready  to  be  glazed  the  "  dip- 
per" immerses  it  in  a  tub  filled  with  the  glaze,  which  is  of 
the  consistency  of  cream,  and,  after  shaking  off  the  surplus 
liquid,  passes  it  to  a  boy  who  places  it  on  a  board  at  his 
side.  The  ware  is  then  carried  to  the  glost  kiln  for  the 
second  firing.  In  placing  the  pieces  in  the  seggar,  great 
care  must  be  exercised  to  prevent  them  from  touching,  be- 
cause when  the  glaze  melts  in  the  heat  of  the  kiln  they 
would  stick  together  and  be  ruined.  The  larger  pieces 
are  placed  in  the  bottoms  of  the  seggars,  on  coarse  sand 
or  finely  broken  flint,  but  flat  pieces  must  be  supported, 
one  above  another,  by  fire-clay  pins  with  sharp,  triangular 
edges,  which  are  inserted  though  holes  in  the  walls  of  the 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE. 


seggar.  Stilts,  which  are  three-armed  pieces  of  clay  with 
points  on  both  sides,  fired  hard,  are  also  frequently  em- 
ployed to  keep  apart  certain  articles. 

DECORATION. 

Pottery  and  porcelain  are  decorated  either  over  the 
glaze,  or  under  the  glaze.  In  over  glaze  decoration,  veri- 
fiable colors  are  applied  to  the  glazed  surface  of  the 
finished  ware  and  are  fixed  at  a  comparatively  low  tem- 
perature in  the  enamelling  kiln,  which  does  not  injure  or 
destroy  them.  In  underglaze  decoration  the  colors  are 
placed  on  the  ware  either  in  the  "  green  "  or  unfired  state, 
or  on  the  biscuit  before  it  is  glazed,  and  must  be  sub- 
jected to  a  heat  sufficiently  intense  to  fuse  the  glaze 
which  is  afterwards  applied.  The  colors  which  will  stand 
this  great  heat  are  limited  in  number  and  are  more  liable 
to  change  in  the  kiln  ;  consequently  the  manipulation  of 
underglaze  colors  requires  considerable  experience  and 
skill  to  produce  certain  and  satisfactory  results. 

Decorations  may  be  hand-painted  ox  printed,  and  both 
methods  may  be  employed  either  before  or  after  the  ware 
has  been  glazed.  In  the  printing  process  which  is  used 
extensively  at  the  present  time,  the  designs  are  engraved 
on  copper  plates  and  transferred  to  the  surface  of  the 
ware.  Mineral  colors,  which  have  been  mixed  carefully 
with  a  prepared  printing  oil,  are  used  to  print  the  design 
on  linen-tissue  paper,  which  is  then  laid  upon  the  ware 
and  rubbed  with  a  piece  of  soft  flannel  until  it  adheres 
evenly  and  firmly.  In  a  few  hours  the  paper  is  plucked 
from  the  ware  and  the  printed  design  is  then  touched  up 


1 4  PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 

with  color  by  hand,  and  gold  lines  are  then  frequently 
applied.  In  the  underglaze  process  the  print  is  usually 
washed  off,  instead  of  being  removed  by  plucking,  and 
then  the  ware  is  fired  in  the  enamel  kiln  sufficiently  to 
burn  the  oil  out  of  the  color.  It  is  then  dipped  in  the 
glaze  and  sent  through  the  glost  kiln.  Gold  decorations 
can  be  added  after  the  glost  firing,  if  desired. 

A  quality  of  decoration,  equal  in  durability  to  under- 
glaze work,  is  often  obtained  by  printing  on  the  glaze 
with  underglaze  colors  and  then  firing-  the  ware  a  second 
time  in  the  glost  kiln,  which  produces  an  effect  that  is 
difficult  to  distinguish  from  real  underglaze  printing. 

The  raised  gold  work,  seen  on  various  grades  of  ware 
at  the  present  day,  is  produced  by  tracing  over  a  free- 
hand or  printed  design,  which  has  been  placed  upon  the 
glazed  ware,  with  a  yellow  paste  which  gives  the  relief. 
This  is  fired  in  the  decorating  kiln  and  afterwards  covered 
with  either  bright  or  dull  gold  and  then  fired  again. 

Majolica  ware  is  decorated  by  applying  colors  mixed 
with  the  glaze,  with  a  brush,  or  by  dipping,  or  by  both 
methods  ;  the  colors  being  soft  blend  easily  at  a  tem- 
perature somewhat  higher  than  the  usual  enamel  or  over- 
glaze  heat,  and  thus  beautiful  effects  are  often  secured. 
By  the  same  method,  soft  or  bone  porcelain  may  be  deco- 
rated by  painting  on  the  dry  glazing  before  the  latter  has 
been  fired.  In  so-called  Barbotine,  and  some  other  styles 
of  decoration,  the  colors  are  applied  to  the  ware  in  the 
clay  state  or  when  partly  fired,  and  a  finish  akin  to  that 
of  majolica  ware  is  thus  secured. 

Rich  mazarine  blue,  and  some  other  brilliant  colors, 


PROCESSES  OF  MANUFACTURE. 


are  obtained  by  laying  the  color  on  the  glost  ware  and 
then  firing  in  the  glost  kiln.  This  process  is  repeated, 
in  many  cases,  several  times  before  the  depth  and  even- 
ness of  color  desired  are  secured. 

The  beautiful  king's  blue  of  the  Sevres  porcelain  is 
obtained  by  applying  the  color  to  the  biscuit  ware,  which 
is  afterwards  subjected  to  the  intense  heat  of  the  "  sharp 
fire." 


CHAPTER  II. 


AMERICAN  WARES  AND  BODIES. 

/  .^AR  THEN WA RE  is  a  term  commonly  used  for 
/  «/    all  kinds  of  pottery  wares  suitable  for  household 
purposes,  not  strictly  porcelain. 

Qucensware  is  a  name  given  to  an  ivory-  or  cream- 
colored  ware,  first  made  by  Josiah  Wedgwood  for  Queen 
Charlotte  about  i  762.  The  word  is  still  used  generally 
in  the  Middle  and  Southern  States  as  a  generic  term 
applied  to  all  kinds  of  household  pottery  wares. 

Faience,  as  defined  by  Webster,  is  "  a  collective  name 
for  all  the  various  kinds  of  glazed  earthenware  and  porce- 
lain." This  term  was  probably  first  used  in  this  country 
about  1876  to  designate  a  decorative  ware  made  in 
France  from  coarse  materials,  finely  modelled  and  enriched 
with  painted  slip  decoration  under  the  glaze.  It  is  now 
applied  to  underglaze  pottery  made  in  this  country,  nota- 
bly the  Rookwood  pottery  of  Cincinnati,  the  faience  of 
Chelsea,  Mass.,  and  the  Lonhuda  ware  of  Steubenville, 
Ohio.  The  name  was  also  used  in  connection  with  a  line 
of  vitreous,  colored  wares,  made  by  Mr.  D.  F.  Haynes  of 
Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1883. 

Red  Earthenware  is  made  of  a  good  quality  of  brick 

16 


AMERICAN  WARES  AND  BODIES. 


i7 


clay,  being-  usually  of  a  red  or  reddish-brown  color.  It  is 
often  glazed  inside,  and  sometimes  all  over,  with  a  lead 
glaze,  which  reveals  the  red  color  of  the  body.  It  is  also 
frequently  covered  with  a  dense  black  glaze.  Flower- 
pots, bean-pots,  pie-plates,  and  roofing-tiles  are  familiar 
examples  of  red  ware.  Formerly  such  ware  was  rudely 
decorated  with  colored  slips,  or  coated  with  yellow  clay 
and  embellished  with  incised  designs.  Of  late  years  it 
has  been  wrought  into  cuspidors,  jardinieres,  and  umbrella- 
stands,  japanned  or  painted  in  various  colors  with  floral 
and  other  decorations,  when  it  is  sometimes  called  lava 
ware. 

Terra-Cotta. — Under  this  head  may  be  gathered  many 
grades  of  pottery,  from  the  soft  Albert  ware,  which  is 
lightly  fired  and  sold  in  the  biscuit  state,  in  ornamental 
forms  for  decorating,  to  the  drain-pipe,  which  is  essentially 
a  stoneware.  Architectural  terra-cotta  is  very  highly 
esteemed  for  building  purposes.  This  is  made  largely  of 
vitreous  clays,  and  is  usually  of  a  dark-red  color,  but  often 
of  a  rich  cream  tint,  and  also  pure  white.  It  is  non- 
absorbent  and  very  durable,  withstanding  fire,  great  pres- 
sure, and  the  corroding  action  of  the  elements.  Its 
decorative  character  in  detail  work  or  in  massive  designs 
gives  it  great  value  with  the  architect.  Fancy  chimney- 
pots, garden  vases,  and  other  ornamental  articles  are 
closely  allied  to  architectural  terra-cotta  in  body. 

Stoneware  is  made  from  bluish  clays  which  vitrify  at  a 
strong  heat,  and  is  glazed  by  throwing  common  salt  into 
the  kiln  when  the  ware  is  nearly  fired.    Stoneware  often 

shows  great  beauty,  and,  decorated  with  cobalt  blue, 

2 


i8 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


ornamented  on  the  lathe,  or  etched  with  a  dull  point  when 
soft,  reveals  artistic  merit.  It  is  strong,  non-absorbent, 
and  seen  generally  in  crocks,  jars,  jugs,  beer-mugs,  drain- 
pipe, and  chemical  apparatus. 

Yellow  Ware  is  manufactured  from  natural  buff-colored 
clays,  and  covered  with  a  transparent  glaze.  It  is  fre- 
quently decorated  with  bands  of  white  or  brown  slip,  and 
is  used  chiefly  for  baking  purposes,  in  the  form  of  nappies, 
bowls,  pipkins,  and  the  like. 

Rockingham  Ware,  as  made  in  the  United  States,  is 
simply  yellow  ware  covered  with  a  dark-brown  glaze,  and 
often  mottled  by  spattering  the  glaze  before  it  is  fired. 
The  name  was  first  applied  to  pottery  made  in  England 
about  1 796,  at  the  Swinton  works,  which  were  located  on 
the  estate  of  Charles,  Marquis  of  Rockingham.  The 
wares  made  at  this  place  were  claimed  to  be  of  superior 
quality,  and  to  have  received  their  mottled-brown  color 
from  repeated  firings. 

Majolica  Ware  derived  its  name  from  a  peculiar  lustred 
ware  thought  to  have  originated  in  the  island  of  Majorca. 
The  term  was  afterwards  used  to  designate  the  brilliantly 
glazed  and  enamelled  wares  of  Italy.  Very  beautiful  ma- 
jolica wares  have  been  made,  within  the  past  twenty  years, 
by  English  and  Continental  potters.  Later,  the  manu- 
facture was  undertaken  by  European  and  American  pot- 
teries, but  the  quality  was  gradually  cheapened  and 
degraded,  until  the  article  became  a  drug  on  the  market. 

Cream-Colored  Warey  known  as  "  C.  C."  ware  by  the 
trade,  because  of  its  yellowish  tint  in  former  years,  is  the 
cheapest  grade  of  reliable  white  ware.    It  is  now  made 


AMERICAN  WARES  AND  BODIES. 


of  excellent  quality,  almost  equal  in  appearance  to  the 
higher  grades  of  goods,  and  is  used  for  cooking  and  table 
purposes. 

White  Granite,  often  called  Stone  China,  or  Ironstone, 
known  as  "  W.  G."  by  dealers,  is  a  solid,  serviceable  ware, 
of  a  bluish  tint,  more  largely  used  in  the  United  States 
than  any  other  grade  of  crockery.  It  is  made  of  the 
materials  common  to  all  white  wares,  and  to  some  porce- 
lains. Flint,  feldspar,  kaolin  or  china  clay,  and  ball  or 
marl  clay  enter  into  its  composition.  This  is  made  into 
toilet,  dinner,  and  tea  sets  and  many  other  useful  articles, 
both  plam  and  decorated. 

Semi-Porcelain,  also  known  as  Paris  Granite  or  "  P.  G.," 
Opaque  China,  and  by  various  other  names,  is  much  the 
color  of  French  china,  and  the  best  brands  are  so  nearly 
akin  to  porcelain  as  to  show  translucency  in  the  very  thin 
parts.  It  is  largely  wrought  into  the  finer  grades  of 
articles  for  family  service,  and  decorated  for  dinner,  tea, 
and  toilet  sets,  often  in  an  elaborate  manner. 

Porcelain,  or  China,  is  always  easily  recognized  by  its 
vitreous  fracture,  fine  grain,  non-absorbent  quality,  and, 
unless  very  thick,  by  its  translucency.  It  has  for  centuries 
commanded  the  admiration  of  men  and  is  the  highest  de- 
velopment of  the  potter's  art.  In  firing,  it  is  brought  so 
near  to  the  melting  point  that  great  durability  is  secured 
and,  ordinarily,  immunity  from  crackling  of  the  glaze,  or 
"  crazing,"  as  it  is  termed.1  In  so-called  soft  porcelain, 
bone  dust  or  phosphate  of  lime  is  largely  used. 

1  The  Crackle  ware  of  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  is  subjected  to  certain  processes 
to  produce  this  effect. 


20 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  thin  porcelain,  called  Bellcck,  takes  its  name  from 
a  town  in  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland,  where  it  has  been 
made  for  a  number  of  years  to  great  perfection.  It  is 
noted  for  its  great  thinness,  light  weight,  and  its  beautiful, 
iridescent  or  pearly  glaze,  variously  tinted.  It  is  now 
made  in  the  United  States  of  excellent  quality.  The 
body  is  akin  to  Parian. 

Parian  derives  its  name  from  its  resemblance  to  a 
beautiful,  ivory-tinted  marble  found  in  the  island  of  Paros. 
It  is  a  fine  grade  of  porcelain,  the  ingredients  being 
thoroughly  ground  together.  It  is  usually  moulded  by 
the  "  casting  "  process,  in  the  same  manner  as  most  thin 
china,  and  possesses  the  translucency  and  vitreous  nature 
of  porcelain,  but  is  seldom  glazed. 

The  porcelains  of  Europe  and  the  East  have  been 
divided  by  ceramic  writers  into  two  classes, — hard  paste 
and  soft  paste.  This  would  seem,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
be  too  arbitrary  a  classification  for  our  American  wares, 
since  the  degrees  of  difference  are  often  so  slight  that  it  is 
impossible  to  determine  where  soft  porcelain  commences 
and  hard  porcelain  ends.  By  a  gradual  process  of  evolu- 
tion the  lines  of  distinction  are  entirely  obliterated,  and  we 
find  that  porcelain  is  made  of  every  degree  of  hardness, 
from  the  softest  bone  china  to  the  hardest  ware  with  no 
trace  of  animal  or  vegetable  substances.  The  tests  which 
have  been  recommended  by  the  books  are,  therefore,  of 
little  value  in  deciding  this  vexed  question,  but  it  may  be 
well  to  enumerate  these  various  tests  and  state  the  reasons 
why  they  cannot  always  be  relied  upon. 

ist.    The  File  Test. — It  has  been  stated  that  hard 


AMERICAN  WARES  AND  BODIES. 


porcelain,  sometimes  called  natural  porcelain,  ox  pate  dure, 
cannot  be  scratched  with  a  file.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a 
good  file  will  mark  the  hardest  porcelain.  This  test, 
therefore,  is  unreliable. 

2D.  The  Foot  Test. — It  is  held  by  some  that  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  foot,  or  that  portion  of  a  vessel  upon 
which  it  rests  while  being  fired,  is  an  indication  of  its 
hardness,  and  when  rough  and  unglazed  the  piece  is  hard 
paste.  In  many  instances  soft  porcelain  presents  the 
same  appearance,  because  the  glaze  has  been  removed 
from  the  foot  to  prevent  adhesion  to  the  bottom  of  the 
sagger  in  which  it  is  fired.  This  test,  therefore,  cannot 
be  depended  upon. 

3D.  The  Fire  Test. — This,  in  the  hands  of  an  expe- 
rienced person,  would  be  decisive,  but,  as  it  might  result 
in  the  destruction  of  a  valuable  piece  of  ware  in  the  in- 
tense heat  of  the  kiln,  it  is  impracticable. 

4TH.  The  Chemical  Test. — The  action  of  acids  upon 
porcelain,  in  a  finely  powdered  state,  would  reveal  the 
presence  of  phosphate  of  lime,  which,  in  the  form  of  bone 
ash,  enters  largely  into  the  composition  of  soft  porcelain, 
sometimes  called  artificial  porcelain,  or  pate  tendre,  but 
the  collector  will  hardly  care  to  subject  a  rare  specimen 
to  the  disintegrating  process  in  order  to  decide  the 
question. 

5TH.  The  Color  Test. — If  on  holding  a  piece  of  ware 
to  the  light  it  shows  a  mellow  ivory  tint,  it  may  be  consid- 
ered strong  evidence  that  there  is  sufficient  bone  in  its 
composition  to  entitle  it  to  be  classed  as  soft  porcelain  ; 
but  should  the  color  possess  a  bluish  tone  it  would  in- 


2  2  PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 

dicate  a  hard  or  vitreous  body.  Where,  however,  the 
proportion  of  bone  is  small,  this  test  would  prove  un- 
satisfactory. 

6th.  The  Fracture  Test. — Should  accident  befall  a 
piece  of  porcelain  and  the  fractured  edge  present  a  glossy, 
vitreous  appearance,  extending  quite  through  the  ware, 
making  it  difficult  to  determine  where  the  glaze  that 
covers  the  outside  begins  and  where  it  ends,  it  may  with 
confidence  be  called  hard  paste.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the 
fracture  shows  a  granulated  surface  and  seems  dry  and 
chalky,  or  upon  touching  it  to  the  tongue  reveals  a  slightly 
absorbent  quality,  and  the  glaze  shows  distinctly  at'  the 
margins  as  thin  layers  of  glass,  it  may  safely  be  called  a 
soft  paste.  When  there  is  only  a  small  proportion  of 
bone,  however,  the  body  will  be  found  to  glisten  to  some 
extent,  and  this  test,  therefore,  is  not  always  conclusive. 

A  connoisseur,  by  the  touch,  the  color,  the  weight, 
and  the  general  appearance,  may,  with  some  degree  of 
certainty,  be  able  to  decide  to  which  class  a  piece  of  porce- 
lain belongs,  but  in  many  cases  it  may  be  quite  impossi- 
ble to  settle  this  point  without  destroying  the  piece. 

There  seems  to  be  no  conclusive  test  by  which  the 
collector  can  always  distinguish  hard  porcelain  from  soft. 
Nor  do  we  consider  this  a  matter  of  any  great  importance. 
If  the  object  under  consideration  possesses  genuine  beauty 
of  form,  or  real  merit  in  the  decoration  which  has  been 
placed  upon  it ;  if  it  has  historical  value,  or  represents 
some  particular  phase  in  the  ceramic  development  of  any 
country  or  locality,  it  loses  none  of  its  interest  because  the 
owner  or  the  practical  potter  is  unable  to  decide  in  which 


AMERICAN  WARES  AND  BODIES.  23 


group  to  place  it.  The  knowledge  of  the  exact  propor- 
tion of  bone  contained  in  its  composition  cannot  add  or 
detract  from  its  real  value  as  a  work  of  art,  and  such  ques- 
tions may  properly  be  left  for  the  investigation  of  the 
practical  manufacturer. 


CHAPTER  III. 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 

JT  is  not  deemed  advisable  to  enter  at  this  time  into 
any  extended  consideration  of  aboriginal  and  pre- 
historic fictile  productions  of  the  United  States,  a  field 
which  has  already  been  so  fully  covered  by  the  publica- 
tions of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  our  public  museums 
of  archaeology  and  ethnology,  and  various  scientific 
societies,  and  the  numerous  monographs  by  the  author 
and  others,  which  have  appeared  in  the  magazines  of  the 
past  twenty  years.  We  may,  however,  very  properly 
devote  a  few  pages  to  a  brief  review  of  the  art  as  prac- 
tised by  the  native  races  of  this  portion  of  North  America. 
We  are  confronted  at  the  outset  with  the  difficulty  of 
classifying  the  potteries  of  aboriginal  tribes,  the  solution 
of  which  must  necessarily  involve  us  in  the  consideration 
of  ethnic  relations,  which  does  not  come  within  the  scope 
of  the  present  work.  For  the  sake  of  convenience,  we 
shall  divide  the  territory  now  embraced  in  the  United 
States  into  three  great  bands,  extending  from  north  to 
south,  or  approximately  so,  commencing  on  the  extreme 
east  with  the  Atlantic  Slope,  then  passing  to  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley,  thence  to  the  belt  west  of  the  Continental 

24 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


Divide,  each  of  which  is  marked  by  a  distinct  and  charac- 
teristic culture  status.  In  taking  up  these  several  divisions 
of  native  ceramic  art,  we  shall  find  that,  while  we  are 
compelled  to  ignore,  to  some  extent,  the  chronological 
sequence,  the  successive  stages  of  development  of  the  art 
followed  the  geographical  arrangement  from  east  to  west. 
Thus  we  have  three  groups  of  pre-Columbian  pottery, 
beginning  with  the  crude  manufactures  of  the  Eastern 
States,  advancing  to  the  more  artistic  wares  of  the 
mounds,  and  ending  with  the  highest  native  development 
of  the  ceramic  art  in  the  United  States,  as  exemplified  in 
the  creations  of  the  Pueblo  or  house-building  tribes  of 
the  far  West.  Having  adopted  this  classification,  let  us 
proceed  to  the  consideration  of  these  three  divisions  in 
the  order  named. 

I.  INDIAN   POTTERY  OF  THE  ATLANTIC  COAST. 

The  nomadic  tribes  w7hich  were  found  in  possession  of 
the  country  by  the  first  white  settlers,  in  the  sections  now 
known  as  the  New  England,  Middle,  and  Southern  At- 
lantic States,  had  scarcely  progressed  beyond  the  first 
stages  of  savagery.  Their  implements  were  fashioned 
from  stone,  and  their  utensils  consisted  of  rude  steatite 
pots,  mortars  dug  out  of  rough  bowlders,  and  a  few 
earthern  vessels.  These  latter  were  moulded  by  hand 
from  coarse  clay,  intermixed  with  sand  and  broken  shells, 
and  being  imperfectly  baked,  and  consequently  of  an 
extremely  friable  nature,  were  easily  destroyed.  For  this 
reason,  few  entire  examples  of  their  handiwork  in  clay 
have  descended  to  us.     Broken  fragments,  however,  are 


26 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


plentiful  among  the  debris  of  abandoned  camps,  and  these 
serve  to  show  the  shapes  of  vessels  and  give  us  an  idea  of 
the  primitive  style  of  ornamentation  employed  in  their 
manufacture.  In  form  they  were  generally  spherical, 
usually  possessing  a  circular  orifice  or  heavy  collar,  but 

sometimes  surmount- 
ed with  a  square, 
triangular,  or  pentag- 
onal mouth.  The 
decoration  consisted 
of  incised  lines 
scratched  in  the  clay 
with  a  stick  or  stone, 
or  more  elaborate 
markings  produced 
by  the  impressions  of 
fish  vertebrae,  cords 
or  thongs,  and  in- 
dentations made  by 
the  thumb  or  finger- 
nail. Occasionally  a 
moulded  head  or  face 

5.— Indian  Pot,  Pennsylvania.  was  added   in  relief. 

Collection  Wyoming  Historical  and  .  . 

Geological  Society.  Perfect  specimens  Ot 

this  ware,  found  on 
the  Atlantic  Slope,  and  now  preserved  in  public  and 
private  collections,  are  comparatively  rare.  Perhaps  the 
most  valuable  and  interesting  series  of  such  pots  is 
that  in  the  collection  of  the  Wyoming  Historical  and 
Geological  Society,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  two  of  which 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


27 


are  here  figured.  The  first  is  a  globular  vessel,  seven 
inches  in  height,  and  is  one  of  the  most  perfectly  pre- 
served examples  known.  It  was  found  in  a  cave  in 
Wyoming  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1856.  The  entire  surface  is 
covered  with  thong  markings,  except  around  the  neck, 
where  are  horizontal 
lines  which  may  have 
been  made  with  a  flint 
or  bone  implement 

(iu.  5). 

The  second  ex- 
ample is  a  fine  illus- 
tration of  this  type 
of  vessel.  It  meas- 
ures thirteen  inches 
from  base  to  lip  and 
possesses  a  scalloped 
frieze  two  and  a  half 
to  three  inches  in 
depth.  This  unusual- 
ly large  specimen  was 
discovered  among 
the  rocks  in  Wayne 
County,  Pa.  The 
ornamentation  is  of 

an  entirely  different  character  from  that  of  the  former. 
The  spherical  body  is  devoid  of  any  attempt  at  embel- 
lishment, while  the  surface  of  the  heavy  rim  is  covered 
with  incised  lines  and  notches  (111.  6).  A  somewhat 
similar  pot,  in  the  extensive  collection  of  Mr.  James 


6. — Indian  Vessel,  Pennsylvania. 
Collection  Wyoming  Historical  and 
Geological  Society. 


28 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Terry,  at  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York  City,  differs  in  the  form  of  the  frieze,  which 
is  triangular  at  the  mouth.  This  is  perhaps  as  fine  a 
ceramic  relic  of  the  Lenni-Lenape  Indians  as  can  be  found. 
It  was  discovered  many  years  ago  at  Bushkill,  Pa.,  and  is 
eight  inches  high,  the  frieze  being  nearly  one-third  the 
height  of  the  vessel. 

The  Mohawk,  Cayuga,  Onondaga,  and  other  tribes 
of  Indians  in  New  York  State  made  vessels  of  a  some- 


7- — Clay  Pipe  (Onondaga),  New  York. 


what  similar  nature,  of  which  a  few  perfect  examples  have 
been  found  in  ancient  remains,  which  have  been  assigned 
to  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Of  these,  the 
most  curious  are  the  so-called  toy  cups,  from  Mohawk 
sites,  some  of  which  measure  scarcely  an  inch  in 
diameter. 

Clay  smoking  pipes  are  frequently  met  with  among 
the  relics  of  the  Eastern  tribes.  Examples  of  the  trumpet 
form,  with  curved  stem,  and  often  moulded  heads  of  birds 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


29 


and  animals,  are  common  in  certain  localities  in  the  State 
of  New  York.  Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp,  who  has  made 
a  special  study  of  these  interesting  objects,  furnishes  the 
accompanying  illustration  of  a  characteristic  form  from  an 
Onondaga  site  near  the  town  of  Pompey,  supposed  to 
belong  to  the  latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The 
bowl  and  stem  are  in  one  piece  (111.  7). 

A  vase  over  four- 
teen inches  in  height 
and  eleven  in  diameter, 
with  pentagonal  mouth, 
also  in  the  Terry  collec- 
tion, is  a  beautiful  ex- 
ample of  elaborate  dec- 
oration. The  incised 
markings  cover  every 
portion  of  the  surface 
and  are  so  arranged  as 
to  produce  a  most  pleas- 
ing effect.  In  this  speci- 
men, which  was  found 
at  East  Windsor,  Con- 
necticut, we  have  a 

chef-d 'ceuvre  of  eastern  Indian  art.  It  is  remarkable  for 
its  large  size  and  excellent  condition  (111.  8). 

The  modern  Cherokee  Indians  of  North  Carolina 
continue  the  manufacture  of  an  earthenware  similar  in 
material,  form,  and  decoration  to  the  ancient  vessels  already 
described.  A  characteristic  example  of  recent  work, 
made  by  women  at  the    East  Cherokee  Reservation, 


8. — Vase  from  Connecticut. 
Terry  Collection. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


and  owned  by  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  at  Washington, 
is  represented  in  Illustration  No.  9,  which  has  been  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  W.  H.  Holmes,  who  states  that  the 
diameter  at  the  rim  is  nine  inches.  The  interior  is 
finished  with  a  black  polish  produced  by  smother  firing. 
The  outside  is  of  a  brownish  color  of  baked  clay  and 
covered   with    incised  pattern    made  by  means  of  an 

engraved  stamp. 

Many  quaint 
allusions  are 
made  by  the  early 
historians  to  the 
custom  of  smok- 
ing among  the 
Indian  tribes  of 
North  America. 
One  chron icier 
wrote  in  the  sev- 
enteenth century, 
that  the  Floridian 
"salvages"  pos- 
sessed "  a  kinde 

of  herbe  dryed,  which,  with  a  cane  and  an  earthen  cup 
in  the  end,  with  fire  and  the  dryed  herbes  put  to- 
gether, do  sucke  thorow  the  cane  the  smoke  thereof, 
which  smoke  satisfieth  their  hunger,  and  therewith  they 
live  foure  or  five  dayes  without  meate  or  drinke."  This 
"  cornet  of  claie,"  which  was  a  common  accessory  to  the 
accoutrements  of  every  warrior,  is  described  by  another 
as  "a  little  pan,  hollowed  at  the  one  side,  and  within 


9. — Modern  Cherokee.  Bureau  of  Ethnology. 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


whose  hole  there  is  a  long  quill  or  pipe,  out  of  which  they 
suck  up  the  smoak  which  is  within  the  said  pan,  after 
they  put  fire  to  it  with  a  coal  that  they  lay  upon  it." 
The  smoking  utensils  described  by  these  writers  were 
pipe  bowls  made  for  the  insertion  of  a  separate  reed 
stem,  and  not,  as  in  the  case  of  the  New  York  examples, 
fashioned  with  head  and  stem  in  one  piece.  In  the  old 
Indian  remains  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  both 
forms  are  found. 

II.  MOUND-BUILDERS'  POTTERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY. 

Earthen  vessels  from  the  mounds  are  far  more  numerous 
and  consequently  present  much  greater  variety  in  form 
and  design.  In  general,  it  may  be  said,  the  texture  of  the 
clay  is  finer  and  the  baking  has  been  more  thorough  and 
uniform.  The  most  typical  form  of  mound  vessel  is 
probably  the  spherical  water  bottle,  simple  in  outline,  with 
elongated  neck.  Jars,  basins,  and  urns,  however,  have 
been  found  in  great  numbers,  and  the  modifications  and 
variations  of  these  are  almost  limitless.  Many  are  truth- 
fully moulded  after  human,  animal,  and  vegetable  models, 
while  others  of  more  simple  form  are  embellished  with 
incised  geometrical  devices,  in  which  the  spiral  or  volute 
decoration  is  conspicuous.  Not  infrequently  pieces  are 
found  which  show  traces  of  having  originally  been  covered 
with  a  dark  red  pigment,  and  while  some  archaeologists 
make  a  distinction  between  the  painted  and  unpainted 
wares  in  point  of  time,  and  possibly  of  origin,  there  seem 
to  be  no  sufficient  grounds  for  separating  the  two.  On  the 
contrary,  both  varieties  of  ware  have  been  found  in  the 


32 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


same  mound  and  evidently  represent  the  same  era  of 
American  art. 

The  stone  graves  of  Tennessee  have  yielded  an  abun- 
dance of  pottery,  which  is  similar  in  all  essential  points  to 
the  vessels  taken  from  the  mounds.  In  the  absence,  there- 
fore, of  conclusive  evidence  of  a  different  origin  or  period 
of  manufacture,  we  shall  include  them  all  under  one  gen- 
eral head. 

The  subject  of  Mound-Builders'  pottery  is  too  vast  to 
properly  review  in  a  work  of  this  nature.  All  that  can  be 
here  attempted  is  a  brief  description  of  a  few  characteristic 
and  striking  forms.  We  must  leave  the  comprehensive 
treatment  of  this  branch  of  American  ceramics  to  others 
who  are  making  the  subject  a  special  study.  Every  student 
of  pottery  is  familiar  with  the  great  collections  of  mound 
vases  which  are  preserved  in  the  public  museums  of  our 
principal  cities.  Cincinnati,  Cambridge,  Washington,  New 
York,  Davenport,  St.  Louis,  and  Philadelphia,  all  possess 
valuable  series  of  these  objects,  and  many  private  collec- 
tions throughout  the  country  include  examples  of  greater 
or  lesser  interest. 

In  Illustration  10  we  have  a  modification  of  the  water 
bottle  form,  a  vase  with  three  legs  terminating  in  well- 
moulded  human  heads,  from  a  mound  in  Richmond 
County,  Georgia.  This  piece  is  seven  and  a  half  inches 
high  and  is  a  Tennessee  type.  It  has  a  plain,  slightly 
polished  surface,  but  was  probably  painted  in  colors  origi- 
nally. For  the  illustration  of  this  curious  example,  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  W.  H.  Holmes  of  Washington,  D.  C. 

Another  exceedingly  interesting  piece  is  a  vase  in  the 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


form  of  a  human  head,  from  Pecan  Point,  Arkansas.  The 
face  is  coated  with  a  light  yellowish-gray  slip,  the  remain- 
der of  the  surface  being  colored  red.  Incised  lines  occur 
on  the  face  to  represent  tattooing,  and  the  closed  eyes 
and  parted  lips  were  evidently  intended  to  convey  the 
idea  of  death.  This  is  not  a  pleasant  object  to  look 
upon,  but  as  a  work  of  aboriginal  art  it  possesses  con- 
siderable merit  (111.  11). 

The  oldest  smoking 
pipes,  of  which  we  have 
any  knowledge,  were 
made  by  the  builders  of 
the  mounds,  who  ex- 
pended an  enormous 
amount  of  time  and 
labor  and  exercised  a 
surprising  degree  of  skill 
in  the  production  of 
curious  receptacles  for 
the  smoking  material. 
These  objects  were 
usually  fashioned  from 
the  hardest  stones,  and  io.-mound  vase,  Georgia. 

were  frequently  carved  to  represent  certain  birds  and 
animals.  They  were  made  in  one  piece,  the  bowl  rising 
from  the  centre  of  the  curved  base  or  platform,  one  end 
of  which  served  the  purpose  of  a  handle,  whilst  the  other 
projection  formed  the  stem.  Clay  pipe-bowls  have  also 
been  discovered  in  some  of  the  mounds,  which  are  pre- 
sumably of  a  more  recent  origin. 


34 


PO  T  TER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CEL  A  IN. 


To  the  same  people  may  be  attributed  the  large  earthen 
vessels  bearing  impressions  of  textile  fabrics,  found  in 
Gallatin  County,  111.,  and  elsewhere,  which  are  supposed 
to  have  been  employed  by  their  makers  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  salt. 


ii. — Head  Vase.  Arkansas. 


The  theory,  which  has  been  recently  advanced,  that 
the  Indians  were  the  builders  of  the  mounds  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  and  consequently  that  the  makers  of  the 
rude  pottery  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  were  the  descendants 
of  the  authors  of  the  mound  vases,  cannot  be  discussed 
here,  nor  can  it  have  any  bearing  on  the  classification 
which  we  are  forced  to  adopt,  which  is  a  geographical, 
rather  than  an  ethnical,  one. 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


35 


III.  PUEBLO   POTTERY   OF  THE   PACIFIC  SLOPE. 

Of  an  entirely  different  character  is  the  ceramic  ware 
made  by  the  ancient  house-building  races  of  the  far  West 
and  still  produced  by  their  modern  descendants,  the  Pueblo, 
Zuni,  and  Moqui  Indians  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 
Throughout  the  ancient  ruins  of  this  section,  and  extend- 
ing from  the  western  borders  of  Colorado,  through  Utah 
to  the  Gila  River,  embracing  the  valleys  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
the  San  Juan,  and  the  Colorado,  sherds  and  vessels, 
in  all  stages  of  entirety,  are  found  in  astonishing  abun- 
dance. Three  distinct  varieties  were  manufactured, — one, 
a  corrugated  ware,  formed  by  the  spiral  coiling  of  ropes 
of  plastic  clay  and  afterwards  indenting  the  surface  with 
thumb  marks  or  covering  it  with  basketry  or  woven  fabrics, 
which  left  their  impress  on  the  yielding  material  ;  the 
second,  a  red  painted  ware  ;  the  third,  a  whitish  ware, 
coated  with  white  or  red  clay,  and  painted  in  vari-colored 
designs.  Of  the  first  class,  the  most  common  vessels 
were  the  large  urns  in  which  the  makers  stored  their  meal 
or  buried  the  incinerated  bones  of  their  dead.  Remark- 
ably well  preserved  examples  of  this  type  have  been  dis- 
covered in  the  canons  and  cliffs  of  this  section,  carefully 
hidden  away  in  recesses  where  they  have  remained  unmo- 
lested until  taken  from  their  resting-places  by  some  en- 
thusiastic explorer.  An  exceedingly  perfect  specimen  of 
this  class,  fifteen  inches  in  height,  which  is  entirely  covered 
with  an  indented  design  produced  by  an  ingenious  arrange- 
ment of  thumb  pressures  in  the  coils  of  clay,  was  discov- 
ered by  Mr.  Charles  McLoyd  of  Durango,  Colorado,  in 
the  winter  of  1890-91,  in  the  ruins  of  a  cliff  house  in  Grand 


36 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


Gulch,  Southern  Utah.  This  vessel,  when  found,  was 
filled  with  corn.  This  form  of  urn  is  frequently  met  with 
among  the  ruins  of  this  section,  and  a  number  of  remark- 
ably fine  examples  may  be  seen  in  the  superb  collection 
of  the  National  Museum.  In  some  instances  the  impressed 
designs  have  been  produced  by  the  application  of  textile 
fabrics  or  the  use  of  shells,  stones,  and  sticks.  Rarely  the 
coiling  method  was  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  ves- 
sels of  more  elaborate  form,  as  in  a  remarkable  water- 
bottle  from  New  Mexico,  in  the 
Terry  collection.  This  is  in  the  form 
of  an  animal,  possibly  intended  to 
represent  the  Rocky  Mountain  sheep 
or  the  antelope. 

The  red  painted  variety  is 
made  of  a  gray  clay, 
considerably  harder 
and  more  thoroughly 
burned  than  the  coiled 
ware,  and  covered  with 

12.— Corrugated  Water-Jar,  New  Mexico,     a  coating  of    dark  red 

Tames  Terry  Collection.  i  • 

coloring  matter.  1  he 
surface  is  usually  glossy,  the  result,  probably,  of  burnishing 
with  smooth  pebbles.  Geometrical  devices  are  frequently 
painted  on  the  surface  in  black. 

The  third  variety,  which  is  by  far  the  most  abundant, 
is  made  of  a  finer  clay,  mixed  with  pounded  shells,  quartz, 
or  flint.  In  color  the  body  is  a  light  gray-white,  some- 
times almost  approaching  in  quality  and  appearance  the 
yellow  or  Rockingham  body  of  the  civilized  potter.  This 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


37 


is  greatly  superior  to  any  other  ware  produced  by  native 
tribes  in  the  United  States,  it  is  generally  covered  with 
a  fine  white  wash  or  slip,  polished  by  burnishing,  and 
decorated  with  geometrical  figures  applied  in  black,  red, 
and  buff.  The  colored  designs,  while  crude,  were  some- 
times wonderfully  well  executed.  The  vessels  of  the 
ancient  Pueblos  excelled  the  productions  of  all  other  abo- 
riginal peoples  in  the  United  States  in  the  variety  of 
shapes.  Mugs,  pitchers,  jars,  urns,  dippers,  bottles,  and 
bowls  formed  but  a  small  portion  of  the  fictile  products  of 
this  section.  Illustration  13  will 
convey  an  excellent  idea  of  the 
older  wares  of  this  class.  The 
original,  which  measures  six  or 
seven  inches  in  height,  was  found 
in  the  ruins  of  the  Canon  de 
Chelly,  Arizona.  The  form  is 
crude,  the  outlines  irregular,  and 
the  decoration  poorly  executed  in 
black.  From  this  same  site,  how- 
ever, the  writer,  some  years  ago,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
William  H.  Jackson,  photographer  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  unearthed  a  number  of  fine  specimens 
of  similar  ware,  of  superior  workmanship. 

A  form  which  is  frequently  met  with  in  the  San  Juan 
valley  is  the  mug  with  double  handle,  as  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 14.  In  this  example,  which  comes  from  the  vicinity 
of  Provo,  Utah,  the  design  is  more  carefully  drawn. 

A  very  interesting  discovery  was  made  during  the 
winter  of  1891  and  1892  by  Mr.  Charles  McLoyd,  of  Duran- 


13. — Archaic  Pueblo  Jug, 
Arizona. 


38  PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


go,  Colorado,  who  spent  six  months  exploring  the  canons 
of  the  San  Juan  and  Colorado  rivers.  In  a  dry  cave  in 
Southern  Utah  he  found  a  large  coiled  vase,  covered  with 
a  flat  stone,  which  contained  a  number  of  perfect  pieces 
of  earthenware  undecorated  and  unturned.  One  of  these 
specimens  is  now  before  me.  It  is  a  double-handled  cup, 
three  and  a  quarter  inches  in  height,  of  a  buff-colored 
clay,  hardened  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Being  in  an  un- 
finished condition,  these 
examples  will  throw  con- 
siderable light  upon  the 
methods  of  manufacture 
as  practised  bythis  ancient 
race.  The  presence  cf  so 
many  entire  vessels  in 
one  place  is  evidence  that 
they  were  stored  away 
for  future  burning,  and 
afterwards  forgotten. 

A  water  jar  from  the 
Canon  de  Chelly,  about 
ten  inches  in  diameter  (111.  15),  is  decorated  in  white  and 
black.  The  body  of  the  vessel  is  covered  with  a  series  of 
diagonal  lines,  between  which  the  meander,  or  "  walls  of 
Troy  "  design  forms  the  embellishment. 

A  large  olla,  or  jar,  from  the  ancient  province  of  Tu- 
sayan,  Arizona,  exhibits  a  different  style  of  ornamentation, 
which  consists  of  white  figures  on  a  black  painted  ground. 
This  interesting  piece  is  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  T.  V. 
Keam.     The  form  of  this  specimen  is  somewhat  unusual 


14. — Double-Handled  Mug,  Utah. 


15.— Ancient  Water-Jar,  Arizona. 


16. — Ancient  Pottery  Olla,  Arizona. 


17. — Ancient  Pueblo  Bowl,  St.  George,  Utah. 

39 


40 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CELAIN. 


in  this  section,  and  belongs  to  the  type  represented  by 
the  steatite  ollas,  which  have  been  found  so  abundantly 
in  California,  where  pottery  was  made  to  a  very  limited 
extent  by  the  former  inhabitants,  and  only  of  the  very 
rudest  character  (111.  16). 

An  example  of  the  best  ware  made  by  the  ancient 
Pueblos  is  shown  in  Illustration  17.  It  is  a  bowl  or  basin, 
of  symmetrical  shape,  made  of  the  grayish-white  body,  with 
polished  and  painted  interior,  from  an  ancient  tumulus, 
near  St.  George,  Utah.  The  design  is  regular  and  won- 
derfully well  executed. 

A  common  form  of  pottery  found  among  the  remains 
of  this  interesting  people  is  the  dipper,  or  ladle-shaped 
vessel,  which  was  extensively  used  for  filling  the  water 
jars,  and  may  have  been  employed  as  a  drinking-cup. 
These  were  provided  with  straight  handles,  which  were 
usually  decorated  in  colors,  and  sometimes  provided  with 
a  perforation  at  the  end  for  suspension.  The  interior  of 
the  bowl  generally  received  decorative  treatment  also, 

and  in  many  instances  the 
painted  designs  are  most 
elaborate  and  ornamental. 
The  specimen  represented 
in  Illustration  18  was  found 
in  Montezuma  Canon,  Utah. 
Some  of  these  utensils  possessed  hollow  handles,  such  as 
are  in  use  at  the  present  day  by  the  Moqui  Indians  of 
Arizona,  the  purpose  being  to  permit  the  water  to  be 
emptied  from  the  bowl  through  the  hollow  tube  in  filling 
water  jars. 


-Pottery  Dipper,  Montezuma 
Canon,  Utah. 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


4i 


Occasionally  pieces  are  met  with  which  combine  the 
principles  of  coiling  and  painting.    A  bowl,  of  archaic 


19. — Coiled  and  Painted  Bowl,  Cibola. 


form,  from  Cibola,  shows  a  corrugated  or  coiled  exterior 
surface,  with  the  usual  thumb  indentations,  and  a  polished 
white  interior,  with  geometrical  designs  in  black  (111.  19). 


20. — Fragment  of  Ancient  Pueblo  Pottery.    Painting  of  Antelope. 


42 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  painting  of  animal  figures  was  sometimes  at- 
tempted by  the  ancient  potters,  though  examples  of  this 
style  are  comparatively  rare.  A  curious  illustration  of 
this  class  of  ware  is  a  fragment,  with  conventional  paint- 
ing of  antelope,  picked  up  by  the  writer  in  the  ruin 
district  of  the  Rio  San  Juan  (111.  20). 

In  rare  instances  pieces  have  been  discovered  which 
possess  moulded  figures  of  reptiles  and  other  subjects,  as 
in  the  fragment  of  the  neck  of  a  vessel,  on  which  is  a 
modelled  representation  of  a  frog,  which  I  discovered  in 

^   ^     Southwestern  Colorado,  now  deposited  in 

the  collection  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  Philadelphia  (111.  21). 

The  modern  house-building  Indians 
of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  continue  to 
make  pottery  after  the  ancient  methods. 
Frog  Ornament.  The  ware,  while  inferior  in  body,  is  more 
elaborate  in  design  and  considerably  richer  in  forms  and 
variety  of  embellishment.  Animal  representations,  both 
moulded  and  painted,  are  the  rule  rather  than  the  excep- 
tion. A  most  characteristic  form  of  vessel  which  is  com- 
mon to  the  Moquis,  Pueblos,  and  Zunis,  is  the  meal  jar, 
decorated  with  black,  red,  and  buff  paintings  of  deer,  elk, 
and  birds,  on  a  white  ground.  The  annexed  engraving  (111. 
22)  shows  a  representative  example  of  this  type,  from  Zuni, 
with  figures  of  deer  and  birds,  surrounded  with  decorative 
designs.  In  depicting  the  former,  the  mouth  is  almost  inva- 
riably connected  by  a  passage  extending  to  the  stomach  (?). 

Water  bottles  in  the  forms  of  birds,  beasts,  and  rep- 
tiles, and  in  imitation  of  the  human  form,  are  made  in 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


43 


great  profusion  by  the  Zuni  potters.  An  effigy  bottle, 
representing  a  mother  owl  with  three  little  ones  perched 
on  her  back,  is  a  characteristic  representative  of  this  class 
(111.  23).     The  owl  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  subject 


23. — Zunti  Indian  Water  Vessel. 


24. — Zuni  Coiled  Jar. 


44 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


with  the  native  designer.  The  deer,  elk,  and  bear  were 
also  represented,  and  among  the  more  recent  productions 
the  domestic  fowl,  cow,  and  hog  figure  largely. 

The  modern  Zunis  also  practise  the  coiling  method  to 
some  extent  in  making  their  pottery,  as  may  be  seen  in 
Illustration  24,  which  shows  a  jar  or  pot  with  corrugated 
surface  and  serpent-like,  relief  ornaments  on  opposite 

sides. 

The  Indians  of 
Cochiti,  as  in  all  of 
the  nineteen  Pueblo 
villages  of  New 
Mexico,  manufacture 
ware  of  a  similar 
character.  A  water 
vessel,  here  figured 
(111.  25),  in  form  of 
a  bird,  with  painting 
representing  a  hunt- 
ing scene,  is  an 
average  production 
of  the  present  day. 
It  will  be  seen  by  a  study  of  the  foregoing  illustrations 
that  the  artistic  instinct  was  strongly  developed  in  the 
village  Indians  of  the  Southwest.  The  simplicity  of 
decoration,  as  shown  in  the  tasteful  combinations  and 
variations  of  the  fret  and  scroll,  the  triangle,  and  other 
elementary  designs,  the  presence  of  a  semi-glazed  or. 
polished  surface,  and  their  utilitarian  forms  entitle  these 
productions  to  the  highest  place  among  the  fictile  manu- 


ABORIGINAL  POTTERY. 


45 


factures  of  American  races.  Such  results  could  only  have 
been  reached  by  the  intelligent  and  well-directed  efforts  of 
a  sedentary  people,  who  had  for  centuries  remained  in  one 
place  and  had  attained  a  high  degree  of  proficiency  in  the 
useful  arts. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  the 
majority  of  the  illustrations  of  Pacific  Slope  pottery  used 
in  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


EARLY  BRICK-  AND  TILE-MAKING. 

THE  belief  that  all  of  the  bricks  which  were  used  in  the 
construction  of  houses  in  this  country  previous  to 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  were  imported 
from  Europe  is  widespread  but  erroneous.  It  is  true 
that  bricks  were  brought  from  Holland  to  New  York 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  some  of  the  ancient  build- 
ings in  the  New  England  States  and  Pennsylvania  were 
built  of  bricks  procured  from  Great  Britain,  yet  it  is 
equally  certain  that  brick-making  had  become  an  estab- 
lished industry  in  America  a  few  years  after  the  arrival  of 
the  first  white  settlers.  It  is  stated  by  Dr.  J.  Leander 
Bishop,  in  his  History  of  American  Manufactures,  that 
bricks  were  burned  in  Virginia  as  early  as  the  year  1612, 
and  so  rapid  was  the  development  of  this  art  that  "  tyle- 
makers  "  in  this  new  Colony  were  living  well  by  their  trade 
in  1649.  Two  years  previous  to  the  latter  date,  brick-  and 
tile-making  were  being  carried  on  in  New  England  as 
independent  callings.  Daniel  Pegg  and  others  manufac- 
tured bricks  in  Philadelphia  in  1685,  and,  shortly  after, 
numerous  brickyards  were  in  operation  along  the  shores 
of  the  Delaware.    Many  residences  throughout  the  coun- 

46 


EARLY  BRICK-  AND  TILE-MAKING.  47 


try,  particularly  in  certain  sections  of  Pennsylvania,  were 
built  of  brick  early  in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  cost 
of  importing  these  supplies  from  England  and  transport- 
ing them  to  the  rural  districts,  far  removed  from  tide- 
water, would  have  been  prohibitory.  That  building-bricks 
were  extensively  manufactured  here  previous  to  1753  is 
indicated  by  a  statement  of  Lewis  Evans,  of  Philadelphia, 
who  wrote  to  a  friend  in  England  in  that  year:  "  The 
greatest  vein  of  Clay  for  Bricks  and  Pottery,  begins  near 
Trenton  Falls,  and  extends  a  mile  or  two  in  Breadth  on 
the  Pennsylvania  side  of  the  River  to  Christine  ;  then  it 
crosses  the  River  and  goes  by  Salem.  The  whole  world 
cannot  afford  better  bricks  than  our  town  is  built  of.  Nor 
is  the  Lime  which  is  mostly  brought  from  White  Marsh 
inferior  to  that  wherewith  the  old  castles  in  Britain  were 
formerly  built." 

When  burned,  as  formerly,  in  "  clamps,"  the  bricks 
formed  their  own  kiln,  piled  on  edge,  a  finger's  breadth 
apart,  to  allow  the  heat  to  circulate  between.  Those 
which  came  in  direct  contact  with  the  wood-fire  in  the  kiln 
were  blackened  and  partially  vitrified  on  the  exposed  ends  ; 
while  the  opposite  extremities,  which  were  farthest  from 
the  heat,  were  only  partially  baked,  and  consequently 
too  soft  for  external  use.  The  bricks  which  were  uni- 
formly surrounded  by  heat  came  out  red.  To  utilize  all 
of  the  bricks  produced,  the  black  ends  of  the  former  were 
laid  outward  in  the  wall,  thus  combining  utility  with  orna- 
mentation. Many  of  the  older  buildings  were  constructed 
in  this  manner,  the  black  binders  and  red  stretchers  alter- 
nating, each  layer  breaking  joints  with  that  immediately 


48 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


above  and  below.  This  method  of  laying  bricks  was  the 
most  common  in  use  and  was  known  as  the  Flemish  bond. 

The  first  roofing  tiles  used  in  America  were  in  all 
probability  brought  from  Holland.  Peter  Jagou  built 
three  houses  on  the  Burlington  Islands  in  the  Delaware 
River,  about  1668,  of  brick  and  tile.  In  1670  he  was 
plundered  by  the  Indians  and  his  dwelling  was  destroyed. 
Amono-  the  ruins  of  one  of  these  structures  Dr.  Charles  C. 

o 

Abbott  discovered,  in  November,  1891,  some  red  and 
yellow  bricks  and  examples  of  curled  or  "  pan  "  tiles  which 
were  apparently  of  Dutch  workmanship,  though  Prof. 
Edward  S.  Morse,  who  has  devoted  much  time  to  the 
study  of  the  roofing  tiles  of  the  world,  has  suggested  to 
me  that  as  there  is  no  evidence  that  these  were  imported, 
they  may  have  been  made  in  this  country.  In  his  instruc- 
tive article  on  Roofing  Tiles,  published  in  The  American 
Architect  and  Building  News,  of  April  23,  1892,  Prof. 
Morse,  referring  to  the  flat  roofing  tile  which  has  been 
found  extensively  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  makes  use  of 
the  following  statement  :  "  As  the  form  of  this  tile  and 
its  dimensions  correspond  to  the  average  flat  tile  seen  in 
Germany,  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  tile  was  introduced 
by  the  early  German  emigrants  to  that  region." 

Flat  terra-cotta  roofing  tiles  were  made  to  a  consider- 
able extent  in  certain  parts  of  this  country,  particularly  in 
the  German  settlements  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  early  in 
the  last  century,  and  were  commonly  used  on  smith-shops 
and  out-buildings,  but  rarely  on  dwellings.  The  art  was 
brought  from  Germany,  where  the  same  methods  of  man- 
ufacture are,  to  some  extent,  still  practised.     In  this  con- 


EARLY  BRICK-  AND  TILE-MAKING.  49 


nection  the  statements  furnished  by  Prof.  Morse  possess 
considerable  interest.  He  says  :  "  The  making  of  flat 
tiles,  as  I  saw  it  near  Wurtzburg,  was  of  the  simplest  de- 
scription. An  iron  frame  having  the  outline  of  the  tile 
to  be  made  was  the  only  important  implement  involved  in 
the  process.  This  frame  represented  the  mould.  The 
table  upon  which  this  rested  consisted  of  a  thick  piece  of 


26. — Pennsylvania  Roofing  Tiles  (Eighteenth  Century). 


plank,  over  which  was  spread  a  piece  of  woolen  cloth,  one 
edge  of  which  was  nailed  to  the  lateral  edge  of  the  plank, 
while  the  opposite  edge  of  the  cloth  had  secured  to  it  an 
iron  rod,  the  weight  of  which  kept  the  cloth  drawn 
smoothly  over  the  plank.  The  iron  frame  was  now  placed 
upon  the  cloth  and  clay  was  packed  into  it  with  the  hands, 
and  then  pounded  down  with  a  wooden  mallet  such  as  a 

moulder  might  use.     A  straight-edge  was  used  to  scrape 

4 


5o 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


away  the  superfluous  clay,  a  little  mass  being  left  at  the  head 
of  the  tile  which  was  afterwards  shaped  into  the  nib  which 
was  to  hold  the  tiles  to  the  laths  or  battens.  This  being 
done,  a  square  piece  of  board  notched  at  one  end  to  admit 
the  nib  was  placed  on  the  frame.  The  workman  then 
grasped  the  iron  rod  attached  to  the  free  end  of  the  cloth, 
and  with  the  other  hand  holding  the  board  in  its  place, 
lifted  the  cloth  and  inverted  the  whole  thing,  transferring 
the  soft  tile  to  the  board.  The  iron  frame  was  then  re- 
moved,  and  the  board  with  its  unbaked  tile  was  placed  in 
the  sun  to  dry."  Such  was  substantially  the  method  re- 
sorted to  by  the  early  tile-makers  in  this  country,  with  the 
difference  that  rain  grooves  were  added  to  the  upper  sur- 
face of  the  tile  by  the  finger  of  the  workman  before  the 
clay  had  dried.  The  grooving,  however,  was  not  always 
accomplished  in  this  primitive  manner.  Mr.  Solomon 
Grimly  of  Schwenkville,  Pa.,  informs  me  that  his  grand- 
father, in  describing  the  process  employed  by  the  Mont- 
gomery County  (Pa.)  tilers  in  the  early  part  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  stated  that  the  frame  or  mould  in  which 
the  tile  was  formed  was  grooved  in  the  bottom  and  into 
this  the  clay  was  pressed  and  the  superfluous  material 
was  cut  away  by  passing  a  strong  thread  or  wire  across  the 
top,  a  lump  being  left  at  the  upper  margin  which  was  drawn 
up  with  the  fingers  to  form  the  catch  or  knob.  The  uni- 
formity of  grooving  which  is  sometimes  noticed  in  tiles 
from  the  same  source  would  seem  to  prove  this  statement 
to  be  correct. 

The  knob  was  not  always,  however,  formed  in  this 
manner,  as  examples  have  been  found  in  other  localities 


EARLY  BRICK-  AND  TILE-MAKING,  51 


which  show  conclusively  that  the  protuberance  had  been 
made  separately,  and  afterwards  attached  to  the  tile.  Mr. 
Grimly  has  sent  me  a  specimen  of  this  character,  which 
he  attributes  to  one  Hiester  (or  Hiister),  who  is  said  to 
have  made  tiles  in  Upper  Salford  township,  Montgomery 
Co.,  Pa.,  about  1735. 

At  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  the  Moravians  made  similar  tiles 
about  1 740,  or  earlier,  until  well  into  the  present  century. 
Mr.  Robert  Rau,  of  Bethlehem,  has  presented  me  with 
some  interesting  examples  taken  from  an  old  building 
which  was  erected  about  1  760.  At  many  small  potteries 
in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  roofing  tiles  have  been  made 
for  upwards  of  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  years,  and  on 
an  old  smithy  near  the  village  of  Bird-in-Hand  one  of  the 
tiles  which  covered  the  roof  bears  the  date  1769,  which 
covers  the  entire  surface,  having  been  traced  in  the  moist 
clay  by  the  finger  of  the  workman.  Such  tiles  have  been 
found  in  the  debris  of  an  old  smith-shop,  which  was  built 
in  1799,  at  Cope's  Bridge,  on  the  Brandywine,  near  West 
Chester,  Pa.,  which,  while  probably  made  by  an  English 
Quaker,  are  of  the  usual  German  form.  Throughout  the 
greater  portion  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  the  flat  tile  is  found. 
The  writer  possesses  specimens  from  many  localities,  which 
vary  slightly  in  size  and  style  of  grooving  in  the  productions 
of  different  potteries.  They  measure  thirteen  to  fourteen 
inches  in  length,  six  and  a  half  to  seven  in  width,  and 
five  eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  are  broadly  and 
shallowly  grooved,  for  the  purpose  of  allowing  the  rain  to 
flow  off,  with  a  knob  or  hook  at  the  upper  margin  of  the 
under  side  for  attachment.    Mr.  Jacob  Swope,  of  Bird-in- 


52 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Hand,  was  making  tiles  in  1820,  and  in  Bucks  County, 
Pa.,  they  were  manufactured,  of  finer  clay  and  somewhat 
smaller  size,  as  late  as  1850.  In  the  German  settlements 
of  Pennsylvania,  tiles  from  the  old  buildings  are  still  in 
demand  for  lining  baking-ovens,  as  they  are  considered 
superior  for  this  purpose  to  fire-bricks,  on  account  of 
their  thorough  burning. 


CHAPTER  V. 


EARLY  POTTING  IN  AMERICA. 

THE  potter's  art  was  probably  first  practised  in  this 
country  by  the  earlier  emigrants  in  Virginia.  Numer- 
ous small  potteries  sprung  up  to  supply  the  modest 
needs  of  the  simple-minded  inhabitants,  which  furnished 
coarse  earthenware  utensils  for  culinary  and  other  pur- 
poses. While  such  crude  wares  were  made  to  a  consider- 
able extent,  no  record  of  any  one  of  the  primitive  kilns, 
which  were  insignificant  affairs,  has  descended  to  us.  The 
older  chroniclers  seem  to  have  completely  ignored,  as 
unworthy  of  note,  the  existence  of  an  art  in  their  midst 
which  had  already  become  familiar  to  them  before  leaving 
their  native  soil.  Previous  to  1649  there  were  a  number 
of  small  potters  in  Virginia  who  carried  on  a  thriving 
business  in  the  communities  in  which  they  operated  ;  and 
the  first  Dutch  settlers  in  New  York  brought  with  them  a 
practical  knowledge  of  potting,  and  are  said  to  have  made 
a  ware  equal  in  quality  to  that  produced  in  the  ancient 
town  of  Delft, — hardly  a  white  ware,  but  such  as  could  be 
produced  from  the  natural  clays  which  abounded  in  the 
country.  Prof.  Isaac  Broome,  of  the  Beaver  Falls  Art 
Tile  Works,  informs  me  that  the  remains  of  an  old  kiln 

53 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


fire-hole,  saved  from  the  ravages  of  time  by  being  thor- 
oughly vitrified,  still  exist  a  mile  or  two  below  South 
Amboy,  N.  J.,  supposed  to  be  a  relic  of  the  earlier  pottery 
ware  made  on  this  continent,  and  most  probably  built  by 
the  Dutch  to  make  stew-pans  and  pots. 

Among  the  immigrants  of  the  seventeenth  century 
were  pot-makers,  who  had  learned  their  trade  in  the 
mother-country,  and  Gabriel  Thomas,  who  came  from 
England,  states  in  his  Description  of  Philadelphia,  pub- 
lished in  1697,  that  "  great  encouragements  are  given  to 
tradesmen  and  others.  .  .  .  Potters  have  sixteen  pence 
for  an  earthern  pot  which  may  be  bought  in  England  for 
fourpence." 

Gilbert  Cope,  of  West  Chester,  Pa.,  has  discovered  in 
his  genealogical  researches  that  one  Joshua  Tittery,  from 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  came  over  to  Pennsylvania  in  the 
year  1683,  in  the  employ  of  the  "  Society  of  Traders," 
as  a  glass-maker,  and  in  his  will  he  calls  himself  a  potter. 
As  early  as  about  1690  Philadelphia  had  at  least  one 
potter  and  one  tobacco-pipe  maker. 

FIRST  WHITE-WARE   MANUFACTORY  IN  AMERICA. 

Dr.  Daniel  Coxe,  of  London,  one  of  the  Proprietors, 
and  afterward  Governor  of  West  New  Jersey,  was  prob- 
ably the  first  to  make  white  ware  in  the  Colonies.  While 
he  did  not  come  to  America  himself,  he  caused  a  pottery 
to  be  erected  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  previous  to  the  year 
1685,  through  his  agent,  John  Tatham,  who,  with  Daniel 
Coxe,  his  son,  looked  after  his  large  interests  here.  We 
are  indebted  to  Mr.  John  D.  McCormick,  of  Trenton,  for 


EARLY  POTTING  IN  AMERICA. 


calling  attention  to  the  following  reference  to  this  pottery, 
in  the  inventory  of  property  offered  for  sale  in  the  Jerseys, 
supposed  to  have  been  written  about  1688,  in  the  Raw- 
linson  manuscripts,  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  at  Oxford, 
England,  which  has  been  carefully  transcribed  from  the 
original  and  forwarded  to  me  by  the  obliging  librarian  : 

"  I  have  erected  a  pottery  att  Burlington  for  white 
and  chiney  ware,  a  greate  quantity  to  ye  value  of  1200  li 
have  been  already  made  and  vended  in  ye  Country,  neigh- 
bour Colonies  and  ye  Islands  of  Barbadoes  and  Jamaica 
where  they  are  in  great  request.  I  have  two  houses  and 
kills  with  all  necessary  implements,  diverse  workemen, 
and  other  servants.      Have    expended    thereon  about 

1*  M  1 
1.  1 

In  the  same  MS.,  fol.  46,  are  "  Proposalls  made  by 
Daniell  Coxe  proprietary  and  Governor  of  ye  provinces 
of  East  and  West  Jersey  in  America  : 

"  The  above  mencioned  Daniell  Coxe  being  resolved 
to  sell  his  interest  in  Land  and  Government  of  the  Colo- 
nies of  East  and  West  Jersey.  The  land  amounting  .  .  . 
unto  one  million  of  Acres  (etc). 

"  Itt  is  believed  a  thousand  pounds  per  Annum  cleere 
of  all  charges  the  said  Daniell  Coxe  hath  likewise  at  Bur- 
lington two  houses  and  kill  with  all  necessary  materialls  and 
implements  with  diverse  servants  who  have  made  a  greate 
progresse  in  a  Pottery  of  White  and  China  ware  above 
1 200  li  worth  being  already  made  and  vended  in  the  Coun- 
try neighbour  plantations  and  the  Islands  of  Barbados 
Jamaica  &c.  and  well  managed  will  probably  bee  very 

1  MS.  Rawlinson,  c.  128,  fol.  30,  b. 


56 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Advantagious  to  ye  undertakers  D  :  C:  haveing  expended 
thereon  to  bring  it  to  perfeccion  allmost  2000  li." 

It  is  recorded  that  in  1691  Dr.  Coxe  sold  to  the  "  West 
New  Jersey  Society"  of  London,  consisting  of  forty-eight 
persons,  his  entire  interests  in  the  Province,  including  a 
dwelling-house  and  "  pottery-house"  with  all  the  tools,  for 
the  sum  of  ,£9,000  sterling. 

John  Tatham  bought  of  Dr.  Coxe,  in  1689,  fourteen 
acres  of  land  in  Burlington.  In  1690  he  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor of  East  and  West  New  Jersey,  and  subsequently 
erected  in  Burlington  a  "great  and  stately  palace." 

It  is  possible  to  gain  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  this 
"white  and  chiney  ware"  by  examining  the  statements  of 
Dr.  Plot,  a  contemporary,  who  published  his  Natural  His- 
tory of  Staffordshire  in  1686,  as  quoted  by  the  late  Mr. 
Llewellynn  Jewitt,  in  his  Ceramic  Art  of  Great  Britain : 
"The  greatest  pottery  they  have  in  this  county  is  carried 
on  at  Burslem,  near  Newcastle-under-Lyme,  where  for 
making  their  different  sorts  of  pots  they  have  as  many 
different  sorts  of  clay  .  .  .  and  are  distinguish^  by  their 
colours  and  uses  as  followeth  : — 

"1.  Bottle  clay,  of  a  bright  whitish  streaked  yellow 
colour. 

"  2.  Hard  fire-clay,  of  a  duller  whitish  colour,  and  fully 
intersperst  with  a  dark  yellow,  which  they  use  for  their 
black  wares,  being  mixt  with  the 

"  3.  Red  Blending  clay,  which  is  of  a  dirty  red  colour. 

"  4.  White  clay,  so  called  it  seems,  though  of  a  blewish 
colour,  and  used  for  making  yellow-color'd  ware,  because 
yellow  is  the  lightest  colour  they  make  any  ware  of."  1 

1  Page  97,  vol.  i.,  London,  1878. 


EARLY  POTTING  IN  AMERICA. 


In  1685  Thomas  Miles  made  a  white  "stoneware"  of 
pipe-clay  procured  at  Shelton.  A  few  years  after  this,  it 
is  said  that  a  potter  named  Astbury  made  "  crouch  "  and 
"  white  stone  "  ware  in  the  same  town,  on  which  he  used 
a  salt  glaze.1  It  is  probable  that  the  "  chiney  "  of  the 
Burlington  pottery  was  in  reality  a  cream-colored  ware  or 
a  wrhite  stoneware  somewhat  similar  to  that  made  about 
the  same  time  in  England.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the 
clay  was  brought  from  South  Amboy,  as  Dr.  Coxe  owned 
considerable  land  in  that  vicinity.  This  clay  has  since 
been  extensively  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  fine 
stone-ware. 

Mr.  Francis  B.  Lee,  son  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  New  Jersey,  has  recently  discovered  the  pleadings 
in  a  case  apparently  relating  to  the  old  Burlington  Pottery, 
to  which  my  attention  has  been  called  by  William  Nelson, 
Esq.,  correspending  secretary  of  the  New  Jersey  Histori- 
cal Society,  as  published  in  the  American  Potters  Journal 
of  April  1,  1892.  This  reference  seems  to  establish  the 
fact  that  this  pottery  was  in  operation  at  least  as  early  as 
1685.  In  examining  a  court  book  in  and  for  Burlington 
jurisdiction,  Mr.  Lee  found,  in  the  records  of  a  Court  of 
Sessions  (12  m.  20-22  days,  1685),  a  suit  brought  by 
James  Budd  against  Edward  Randall  ("Acc'  on  debt"), 
reported  as  follows  : 

"  The  deed  or  Indenture  of  agreem't  betweene  Plain't 
&  deft  Read  &  proved,  &  also  ye  bond  of  Two  Hundred 
pounds  from  ye  deft  to  ye  Plain't  for  p'formance,  also  read 
and  proved. 

1  This  was  made  of  tobacco-pipe  clay  mixed  with  flint,  and  was  superior  to  anything 
produced  in  England  before. 


5  8  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 


"  Mary  Budd  Attested  sayth  that  shee  being  at  Lon- 
don before  ye  Deft  came  away  shee  was  told  by  an  honest 
woman  there  who  had  some  concerne  amongst  ye  Potters 
at  London  that  she  feared  ye  Pott  works  here  would  come 
to  nothing,  for  that  the  said  deft  Randall  &  ye  other 
p'sons  who  were  to  come  to  manage  ye  same  works  had 
not  skill  to  p'fect  it. 

"  Wm.  Winn  Attested  sayth  that  hee  can  finde  noe 
Clay  in  the  Countrey  that  will  make  white  ware  ;  And 
further  sayth  that  Edward  Randall,  the  deft,  is  as  good  a 
workman  as  James  Budd  ye  plaint  can  finde  in  England. 

"  The  Jury  bring  in  this  determination  (vizt.)  wee  can 

give  noe  fynall  determination  of  ye  matter  until  materialls 

requisite  shall  come  from  England  to  prove  ye  skill  of  ye 
deft. 

"  Whereupon  the  Bench  order  that  the  said  Edward 
Randall  recinde  ye  Concerne  of  ye  said  James  Budd  until 
fitt  materialls  be  sent  for  from  such  place  in  England  as 
ye  said  Edward  Randall  shall  appoint." 

From  this  it  would  appear  that  Randall,  who  was 
brought  to  America  by  James  Budd  to  manage  the  Bur- 
lington works,  was,  for  some  reason,  either  because  of  lack 
of  skill  or  the  impossibility  of  procuring  suitable  clay,  un- 
able to  fulfil  his  contract  to  manufacture  white  ware  up  to 
that  time.  Later,  as  Dr.  Coxe  states,  a  great  quantity  of 
the  ware  was  successfully  manufactured  here. 

The  exact  location  of  the  old  Coxe  pottery  is  not 
known.  It  was  probably  situated  somewhere  between 
Burlington  and  Trenton,  not  necessarily  in  the  former 
town,  but  somewhere  in  the  county. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


POTTERIES  OF  THE  EIGHTEENTH 

CENTURY. 

EARLY  OPERATIONS  IN  THE  CAROLINAS. 

ACCORDING  to  tradition,  china  clays  were  sent  to 
Europe  from  North  Carolina  more  than  two  centu- 
ries ago.  The  Indians  are  said  to  have  carried  it  from 
the  Smoky  Mountains  to  the  coast,  "  under  the  name  of 
Unakah,"  as  Mr.  W.  A.  H.  Schreiber  of  Webster,  N.  C, 
informs  me,  which  was  "  their  name  for  Smokies  (meaning 
white),  still  called  Unaka  in  Mitchell  Co.  and  Unakoi  in 
Cherokee." 

Previous  to  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and  before 
the  manufacture  of  porcelain  had  been  attempted  in 
America,  English  potters  were  using  china  clays  procured 
in  this  country.  Mr.  Llewellynn  Jewitt,  in  his  Ceramic 
Art  of  Great  Britam,  informs  us  that  a  patent  was  taken 
out  in  1744,  by  Edward  Heylyn,  of  the  parish  of  Bow,  in 
the  county  of  Middlesex,  merchant,  and  Thomas  Frye,  of 
the  parish  of  West  Ham,  in  the  county  of  Essex,  painter, 
for  the  manufacture  of  china-ware  ;  and  in  the  following 
year  they  enrolled  their  specification,  in  which  they  state 
that  the  material  used  in  their  invention  "  is  an  earth,  the 
produce  of  the  Chirokee  nation  in  America,  called  by  the 

59 


6o  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


natives  unaker."  In  1878  and  1879,  Mr.  William  Henry 
Goss,  proprietor  of  the  extensive  porcelain  works  at  Lon- 
don Road,  Stoke-on-Trent,  contributed  to  the  English 
Pottery  and  Glass  Trades  Review  a  series  of  notes  on  Mr. 
Jewitt's  work.  In  December  of  the  former  year  he  wrote  : 
"The  specification  of  this  patent  is  of  startling  interest. 
Who  would  have  thought,  until  Mr.  Jewitt  unfolded  this 
document  to  modern  light,  that  the  first  English  china  that 
we  have  any  knowledge  of  was  made  from  American  china- 
clay  ?  Let  our  American  cousins  look  out  for,  and  treasure 
up  lovingly,  specimens  of  the  earliest  old  Bow-ware  after 
learning  that." 1  Then  follows  the  specification  in  full, 
as  given  by  Mr.  Jewitt,  and  Mr.  Goss  continues  :  "  This 
'unaker,'  the  produce  of  the  Chirokee  nation  in  America, 
is  decomposed  granitic  rock,  the  earth  or  clay  resulting 
from  the  washing  being  the  decomposed  felspar  of  that 
rock.  It  is  curious  that  it  should  have  been  imported 
from  among  the  Chirokees  when  we  had  mountains  of  it 
so  near  as  Cornwall  ;  unknown,  however,  to  any  '  whom  it 
might  concern  '  until  Cookworthy  discovered  it  twenty-four 
years  later  than  the  date  of  the  above  patent."  William 
Cookworthy  was  acquainted  with  American  clays  as  early 
as  1  745,  for  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  fifth  month,  thirti- 

1  It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  John  Dwight,  in  1671,  took  out  a  patent  for  the 
manufacture  of  "  porcelaine  "  or  transparent  earthen-ware,  and  Mr.  Jewitt  remarks  : 
"  To  Dwight,  therefore,  it  will  be  seen  by  these  patents,  the  credit  of  being  the  first 
inventor  and  maker  of  porcelain  in  England  belongs.  His  name  is  thus  one  entitled 
to  lasting  honour  as  the  pioneer  of  one  of  the  best,  most  beautiful,  most  successful,  and 
most  flourishing  arts  ever  practised  in  our  kingdom." 

Mr.  Charles  Cooper,  in  an  article,  published  in  the  Gentle7iiati 's  Magazine  of  August 
1892,  states  that  John  D wight's  patent  for  the  manufacture  of  porcelain  was  dated 
April  23,  1671,  and  informs  us  that  the  old  Dwight  pottery  is  still  in  operation  in 
Church  St.,  Fulham. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY,  61 


eth,  of  that  year,  quoted  by  Mr.  Jewitt,  he  writes  :  "  I 
had  lately  with  me  the  person  who  hath  discovered  the 
china-earth.  He  had  samples  of  the  china-ware  of  their 
making  with  him,  which  were,  I  think,  equal  to  the  Asiatic. 
'T  was  found  in  the  back  of  Virginia,  where  he  was  in  quest 
of  mines  ;  and  having  read  Du  Halde,  discovered  both 
the  petunse  and  kaulin.  'T  is  the  latter  earth,  he  says,  is 
the  essential  thing  towards  the  success  of  the  manufacture. 
He  is  gone  for  a  cargo  of  it,  having  bought  the  whole 
country  of  the  Indians  where  it  rises.  They  can  import 
it  for  £1$  per  ton,  and  by  that  means  afford  their  china  as 
cheap  as  common  stoneware.  But  they  intend  only  to  go 
about  30  per  cent,  under  the  company." 

We  must  not  conclude  from  this  statement  that  the 
ware  which  Cookworthy  had  seen  had  been  made  in 
America.  It  is  much  more  probable  that  the  pieces  were 
some  of  those  produced  at  the  Bow  works,  within  the 
year  that  had  just  passed,  from  the  recently  discovered 
American  materials. 

In  1765  and  1766  South  Carolina  clays  were  sent  to 
the  Worcester  china  works,  and  the  Bristol  works,  for 
trial,  but  the  results  were  not  satisfactory. 

Miss  Eliza  Meteyard  informs  us,  in  her  Life  of '  Josiah 
Wedgwood,  that  "as  early  as  1766,  a  Mr.  Bartlem,  a  Staf- 
fordshire potter,  who  had  been  unsuccessful  in  his  own 
country,  emigrated  to  South  Carolina,  and  commencing 
his  trade  there,  induced  various  workmen  to  follow  him."1 
In  a  letter  to  Sir  William  Meredith,  Wedgwood  thus 
expresses  his  alarm  at  this  circumstance  :  "The  bulk  of 

1  See  vol.  ii.,  p.  475. 


6  2  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 


our  particular  manufactures  are,  you  know,  exported  to 
foreign  markets,  for  our  home  consumption  is  very  trifling 
in  comparison,  to  what  is  sent  abroad  ;  &  the  principal 
of  these  markets  are  the  Continent  &  Islands  of  North 
America.  To  the  Continent  we  send  an  amazing  quan- 
tity of  white  stoneware  &  some  of  the  finer  kinds,  but 
for  the  Islands  we  cannot  make  anything  to  rich  and 
costly.  This  trade  to  our  Colonies  we  are  apprehensive 
of  losing  in  a  few  years,  as  they  have  set  on  foot  some 
Pottworks  there  already,  and  have  at  this  time  an  agent 
amongst  us  hiring  a  number  of  our  hands  for  establishing 
new  Pottworks  in  South  Carolina  ;  having  got  one  of  our 
insolvent  Master  Potters  there  to  conduct  them.  They 
have  every  material  there,  equal  if  not  superior  to  our 
own,  for  carrying  on  that  manufacture ;  and  as  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  and  consequently  the  price  of  labour  amongst 
us  are  daily  advancing,  it  is  highly  probable  that  more 
will  follow  them,  and  join  their  brother  artists  and  manu- 
facturers of  every  Class,  who  are  from  all  quarters  taking 
a  rapid  flight  indeed  the  same  way  !  Whether  this  can 
be  remedied  is  out  of  our  sphere  to  know,  but  we  cannot 
help  apprehending  such  consequences  from  these  emigra- 
tions as  make  us  very  uneasy  for  our  trade  and  Posterity."  1 
The  apprehensions  of  the  great  potter  seem  to  have  been 
groundless,  as  the  early  venture  to  which  reference  is 
made  proved  abortive  and  "  disaster  and  death  were  the 
results."  In  the  same  year,  however,  Wedgwood  procured 
samples  of  the  Carolina  clays,  from  the  country  of  the 
Cherokees,  some    300    miles  from  Charleston,  which, 

1  Hid.,  vol.  i.,  p.  367. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  63 


proving  satisfactory  after  trial,  were  for  several  years  after 
used  by  him  in  larger  quantities.  Subsequently  he  im- 
ported clays  from  Florida,  which  he  seems  to  have  preferred 
to  the  former.1 

Mines  of  fine  kaolin  are  now  being  worked  in  Jackson 
County,  N.  C,  which  furnish  clay  for  the  best  china  made 
at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  This  kaolin 
contains  some  oxide  of  cobalt  which  imparts  to  the  ware 
a  bluish  tint,  so  desirable  in  fine  porcelain  bodies. 

MANUFACTURE  OF  STONEWARE. 

A  stoneware  factory  was  started  in  New  York,  at 
"  Potter's  Hill,"  near  the  "  Fresh-water  Pond,"  back  of 
the  old  City  Hall,  in  or  about  1735,  by  John  Remmey, 
who  came  from  Germany.  On  an  old  map  of  New  York 
City,  printed  in  181 3,  entitled,  "  A  Plan  of  the  City  and 
Environs  of  New  York  as  they  were  in  the  years  1742, 

1743,  and  1744,  Drawn  by  D  G  in  the  76th  year 

of  his  age,  who  had  at  this  time  a  perfect  and  correct  recol- 
lection of  every  part  of  the  same,"  Remmey  &  Crolius' 
pottery  is  marked.  John  Remmey  died  in  1762,  but  the 
business  passed  through  three  generations  of  Remmeys, 
all  of  the  name  of  John,  and  was  discontinued  about  1820. 
Later  on,  Joseph  Henry  Remmey,  a  great-grandson  of  the 
founder,  moved  to  South  Amboy,  N.  J.,  with  some  of  the 
machinery  of  the  old  factory,  and  established  a  pottery 
there.    His  father,  John  Remmey  the  third,  owned  one  of 

1  Richard  Champion,  of  the  Bristol  Porcelain  works,  arrived  in  South  Carolina 
Dec.  6,  1784,  and  settled  at  Camden,  S.  C,  as  a  planter.  He  did  not,  however,  en- 
gage in  the  manufacture  of  pottery  or  porcelain  in  this  country.  See  Two  Centuries  of 
Ceramic  Art  in  Bristol,  by  Hugh  Owen,  1873. 


64  PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAJN. 


the  largest  libraries  in  New  York  in  his  day,  and  possess- 
ing literary  tastes,  wrote  and  published,  in  1799,  Egypt 
as  It  Is,  and  contributed  numerous  editorials  to  the  news- 
papers of  that  period.  These  facts  have  been  furnished 
me  by  Mr.  John  F.  Remmeyof  Brooklyn,  a  son  of  Joseph 

Henry  Remmey,  from 
records  in  his  possession. 

About  1 8 10,  Henry 
Remmey,  a  brother  of 
John  Remmey  the  third, 
and  grandson  of  the  orig- 
inal John  Remmey,  went 
to  Philadelphia  and  soon 
afterwards  embarked  in 
the  stoneware  business, 
which  has  been  contin- 
ued to  the  present  time, 
the  proprietor  of  the 
works  now  being  Mr. 
Richard  C.  Remmey, 
one  of  his  great-grand- 
sons. The  Philadelphia 
works  have  grown  to  ex- 
tensive proportions,  ten 
large  kilns  being  now  in 
use.  Here  are  manufac- 
tured chemical  bricks  of  superior  quality  ,  and  stone  and 
porcelain-ware  of  every  description,  for  chemical  purposes, 
some  of  the  vessels  having  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  to  five 
hundred  gallons.    These  productions  have  obtained  almost 


-Stoneware  Money-Bank, 
R.  C.  Remmey. 


THE  EIGH  TEEN  TH  CEN  TURY.  65 


a  world-wide  reputation  for  hardness  and  durability.  Mr. 
Remmey  is  now  making  preparations  for  the  manufacture 
of  porcelain  bath-tubs  and  other  large  designs.  Much  of 
the  clay  used  at  these  works  is  obtained  at  Woodbridge, 
N.  J.  In  addition  to  these  specialties,  the  factory  pro- 
duces an  extensive  line  of  salt-glazed  household  utensils, 
such  as  mugs,  pitchers,  spittoons,  jugs,  crocks,  and  money- 
banks.  The  decoration  is  such  as  is  usually  found  on 
similar  wares  ; — cobalt  blue  designs  beneath  the  glaze, — 
in  addition  to  which  a  more  artistic  style  of  ornamentation 
is  employed  to  some  extent,  consisting  of  incised  devices 
touched  with  blue.  The  quality  of  these  various  products 
is  unsurpassed  and  the  large  quantity  of  goods  manufac- 
tured here  places  this  factory  in  the  front  rank  of  such 
establishments  in  this  country  and  abroad. 


SLIP-DECORATED  AND  SGRAFFIATO  WARE. 

Perhaps  there  are  no  products  of  the  potter's  art  more 
interesting  to  the  antiquary  and  the  collector  than  the 
rude  "slip-decorated"  pieces  which  were  made  in  Eng- 
land and  Germany  during  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries.  Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  earlier 
British  slip-potters  were  Thomas  and  Ralph  Toft,  who, 
with  others  of  less  renown,  have  left  some  of  these  primi- 
tive productions,  in  the  forms  of  dishes,  drinking-cups, 
candlesticks,  and  miniature  cradles,  which  are  now  eagerly 
sought  by  collectors,  fine  examples  of  which  may  be  seen 
in  the  Museum  of  Practical  Geology  and  the  South  Ken- 
sington and  British  Museums  of  London,  as  well  as  in  a 

5 


66  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


number  of  private  cabinets  in  England.1  The  decoration 
consists  of  childish  designs,  representing  royal  personages, 
lions,  unicorns,  birds,  beasts,  and  flowers,  executed  by 
tracing  liquid  clays,  or  "  slips,"  of  different  colors,  on 
common  red  or  buff  pottery,  through  a  quill  attached  to 
a  hand-box,  the  flow  of  the  diluted  clay  being  controlled 
by  means  of  a  small  air-hole  in  the  upper  part  of  the  slip- 
box,  which  was  closed  or  opened  by  the  thumb  of  the 
decorator.  By  this  contrivance  a  variety  of  ornamental 
effects  was  produced,  such  as  the  outlining  of  figures,  the 
application  of  dotted  or  trellised  borders,  inscriptions,  and 
dates. 

The  recent  discovery  by  the  writer  of  slip-decorated 
pottery,  and  of  sgraffiatoy  or  incised  red  ware,  among  the 
products  of  old  American  potteries,  possesses  considerable 
interest.  This  latter  style  of  ornamentation  was  common 
with  Italian  potters  so  long  ago  as  the  fifteenth  century, 
and  in  Germany  and  England  was  employed  to  some 
extent  two  hundred  years  later.  The  decorative  process 
consisted  in  covering  the  earthenware  biscuit  with  a  thin 
layer  of  lighter-colored  slip,  through  which  the  designs 
were  scratched  with  a  style  to  expose  the  darker  color 
below.  A  coating  of  transparent  glaze,  slightly  clouded 
with  green  and  yellow  oxides,  was  then  applied  to  the 
surface,  and,  after  the  final  firing,  the  ware  presented  the 
appearance  of  a  rich  red  intaglio  beneath  a  greenish  or 
mottled-yellow  ground.  During  the  latter  half  of  the  last 
century  and  the  first  half  of  this,  many  small  potteries 
were  established  throughout  the  German  settlements  in 

1  Those  who  desire  to  go  further  into  the  subject  of  British  slip-decorated  ware 
are  referred  to  Examples  of  Early  English  Pottery,  Named,  Dated,  and  Inscribed,  by- 
John  Eliot  Hodgkin,  F.S.A.,  and  Edith  Hodgkin.    London,  i8qi. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  67 


Eastern  Pennsylvania,  particularly  in  the  counties  of 
Bucks,  Montgomery,  Lehigh,  Berks,  and  Schuylkill,  where 
such  ware  was  produced  quite  extensively.  Its  very 
homeliness  and  crude,  but  picturesque,  ornamentation 
appealed  strongly  to  the  simple-minded  country  folk  who 
used  it  in  their  daily  avocations.  The  sentiments  em- 
bodied in  the  quaint  inscriptions  and  mottoes,  which 
usually  formed  a  prominent  part  of  the  embellishment  of 
earthen  plates,  dishes,  and  jars,  and  the  frequent  presence 
of  dates  of  manufacture,  which  were  usually  very  exact, 
including  the  day  of  the  month,  caused  such  pieces  to  be 
carefully  treasured  and  handed  down  from  mother  to 
daughter. 

Early  specimens  which  have  recently  been  discovered 
indicate  such  proficiency  in  slip-decoration  as  would  lead 
us  to  infer  that  the  art  was  by  no  means  new  to  the 
potters  of  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago  in  this  country. 
The  old  English  and  German  craftsmen  plied  their  trades 
in  this  new  field  of  labor  on  the  same  principles  which  had 
governed  their  ancestors  a  hundred  years  or  more  before. 

The  oldest  dated  example  of  this  ware  which  has  yet 
come  to  light  in  the  United  States  is  a  dish,  fifteen  inches 
in  diameter  and  three  inches  deep,  now  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum,  Philadelphia,  which  is  embellished  with 
floriated  central  devices,  colored  with  red  and  green 
glazes,  and  the  following  inscription,  carved  in  the  white 
slip  around  the  rim  : 

"  Not  Be  Ashamed  I  Advice  thee  Most 

if  one  Learneth  thee  what  Thou  not  Knowest, 

the  Ingenious  is  Accounted  Brave, 

but  the  Clumsey  None  Desire  to  have,  1762." 


68 


PO  T  TER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CEL  A  IN. 


This  is  evidently  the  work  of  a  German  potter,  and 
was  most  probably  made  at  one  of  the  numerous  old 
potteries  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.  (111.  28). 

The  exact  origin  of  this  interesting  example  is  not 
known,  though  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  was  made  in 


28. — Slip-Engraved  Dish,  Pennsylvania,  1762.    (Barber  Coll.) 

Pennsylvania  Museum. 


Pennsylvania.  Several  potteries  are  known  to  have  been 
in  operation  in  Montgomery  and  Bucks  counties  at  the 
time  of  the  date  of  this  piece,  where  such  ware  was  made. 
Mr.  James  Terry,  of  New  Haven,  Ct,  is  in  possession  of 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  69 


a  brown,  glazed  earthenware  tea-caddy,  five  inches  square. 
The  front  is  covered  with  yellow  slip,  which  has  been  cut 
away  to  show  some 
crude  designs,  by 
bringing  out  the  dark 
color  beneath,  and 
the  inscription  : 

"  Esther  Smith 
Her  Tea  Cannister  Sept 
6th  1767." 

There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  this  was 
made  at  the  old  Smith 
pottery  in  Wrights- 
town  township, 
Bucks  County,  Pa., 
erected   in   1763  by 

Joseph  Smith,  where   29.— tea-Caddy,  sgraffiato  ware.  Jam] 

Such   ware   is  known  Terry  Collection. 

to  have  been  produced.  The  owner  of  the  pottery 
had  a  sister  Esther,  who  was  born  in  1727,  but  as 
she  was  married  to  Thomas  Lacey  in  1 748,  this  piece 
could  not  have  belonged  to  her.  But  Joseph  Smith  (born 
1 721)  was  married  in  1743,  and  it  is  quite  likely  that  he 
may  have  had  a  daughter  Esther,  named  after  his  sister, 
who  was  probably  the  original  owner  of  the  cannister, 
shown  in  Engraving  29. 

Mr.  Isaac  Eyre,  of  Newtown,  Pa.,  informs  me  that 
Thomas  Paxson,  of  Buckingham,  father  of  ex-Chief-Justice 
Paxson,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  once  told 


tES 


7o 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CP  LAIN. 


him  of  an  old  dish  that  was  made  at  the  old  Smith 
pottery,  which  contained  the  following  legend  : 

"  Here  is  health  to  the  man  who  has  a  half  Joe  1 
And  has  the  heart  to  lend  it, 
Let  the  dogs  take  him  who  has  a  whole  Joe 
And  has  n't  the  heart  to  spend  it." 

Dr.  Lettie  A.  Smith  of  Newtown,  granddaughter  of 
Thomas  Smith,  who  afterwards  owned  the  pottery, 
remembers  distinctly  seeing  some  of  her  grandmother's 
decorated  dishes,  which  contained  four  or  more  lines  of 
poetry  and  the  name  of  Thomas  Smith,  with  dates. 

An  earthen  keg,  covered  with  a  black  glaze,  sixteen 
inches  in  height,  with  the  name  J.  Smith  and  date 
1 799,  is  also  believed  to  have  come  from  the  same  pot- 
tery. It  is  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Williams  of 
New  Hope,  Pa.  The  only  examples  remaining  in  the 
Smith  family  are  an  earthen  bowl  and  a  coffee-pot  deco- 
rated with  raised  work,  now  owned  by  Dr.  Lettie  A. 
Smith. 

Abraham  or  Isaac  Stout,  about  1775,  made  slip-deco- 
rated ware  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  A  "  vegetable  dish," 
a  foot  in  diameter  and  two  and  a  half  inches  deep,  with 
conventional  floriated  pattern  and  the  initials  S.  S.  on 
the  margin,  is  owned  by  Miss  Laura  Swartzlander  of 
Yardley,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.  This  was  one  piece  of  a  dinner 
set  made  by  Mr.  Stout  for  his  daughter,  Salome,  the 
great-grandmother  of  the  present  owner. 

Christian  Klinker,  according  to  an  old  deed  in  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  Wm.  J.  Buck  of  Jenkintown,  Pa.,  was  an 

1  A  "  Joe  "  was  a  goll  coin  in  circulation  many  years  ago. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


7i 


"earthen  potter  maker,"  in  1792,  near  Bucksville,  Bucks 
Co.,  and  had  resided  there  for  at  least  five  years  previous 
to  that  date. 

An  interesting  slip-dish  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum, 
Philadelphia,  remarkable  for  its  unusual  size,  light  weight, 
and  perfect  condition,  is  embellished  with  a  conventional 


30. — Large  Slip-Decorated  Dish,  Pennsylvania,  1769.    Pennsylvania  Mu- 
seum Collection. 

design  of  tulips  in  white  and  green  outlined  with  laven- 
der, on  an  orange-colored  ground.  This  superb  specimen 
measures  seventeen  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter  and 
possesses  a  double  band  of  inscriptions  in  low  German, 
and  the  date  1769  (111.  30).  This  was  made  at  one  of  the 
old  potteries  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 


72  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

In  the  extensive  ceramic  collection  of  Mr.  George  H. 
Danner  of  Manheim,  Pa.,  is  a  large  slip-decorated  earthen 
dish  adorned  with  a  figure  of  a  bird,  under  which  is  a 
heart  on  which  the  following  inscription  occurs  : 

"This  Dish 
and  Heart 
shall  never 

Part,  1773." 

This  was  made  at  one  of  the  local  pot-works,  probably 
at  the  old  Smith  pottery  in  Bucks  County. 

A  curious  old  pottery  dish,  dated  1789,  in  possession 
of  a  German  family  in  Montgomery  County,  is  remarkable 
for  having  three  bands  around  the  rim,  each  an  inch  wide, 
on  which  are  inscriptions  and  ornamental  devices,  the 
central  portion  of  the  dish  being  decorated  with  a  rudely 
executed  floral  design.  The  outer  band  contains  a  circle 
of  words,  as  follows  : 

"  Mathalena  Jungin,  ihr  Schiissel. 
Die  Schiissel  ist  von  Erd  gemacht 
Wann  sie  ver  bricht  der  Haffner  lacht. 
Darum  nehmt  sie  in  Acht." 

This,  in  English,  would  read  : 

"  Mathalena  Jungin,  her  dish. 
The  dish  is  made  of  earth 
When  it  breaks  the  potter  laughs. 
Therefore  take  care  of  it." 

The  second  or  middle  band  contains  a  wreath  com- 
posed of  ten  flowers  (tulips)  and  leaves. 

In  the  inner  band  is  the  following  inscription  : 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


"  Blumen  Mollen  ist  gemein 
Aber  den  geruch  zugeben  vermach  /ur  Gott  allein," — 
"  To  sketch  flowers  is  for  me,  but  to  give  perfume  belongs  to  God 
alone." 

This  example  is  one  of  the  few  pieces  which  contain 
the  names  of  the  original  owners.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  made  at  the  old  Cope  pottery  in  Frederick  township, 
Montgomery  County. 

A  second  example  inscribed  with  the  recipient's  name 
has  recently  come  to  light.  It  is  a  well  preserved  plate, 
similarly  ornamented,  with  an  inscription  incised  in  the 
back,  which  may  be  freely  translated  thus  :  "  This  dish 
was  made  for  Miss  Hos  (Hause)  German  Township, 
Berks  county,  June  4th  1814,  so  much  from  me,  Henry 
StofHet."  The  family  tradition  is  that  this  was  made  by 
Stofrlet  as  a  wedding  present  for  the  lady  whose  name 
appears  on  it.  Whether  the  prospective  bride  resided  in 
Berks  County,  or  the  pottery  was  located  there,  we  are 
unable  to  determine.  The  dish  is  now  in  possession  of 
Mr.  James  Terry  of  New  Haven,  Ct. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  H.  F.  Shaddinger  for  the  dis- 
covery of  a  two-handled  puzzle  mug,  nine  inches  high,  of 
light-red,  glazed  pottery,  slightly  streaked  with  brown  (111. 
31).  On  one  side  is  scratched  the  American  eagle  be- 
neath the  glaze,  with  the  word  "Leberty"  above.  On 
the  reverse  are  inscribed  the  initials  P  X  K  and  "  May 
5the,  1809."  On  the  bottom,  scratched  in  the  clay,  occurs 
the  inscription  : 

"  Phillip  Kline 
his  Muge 
May  5the  1809." 


74 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  maker  of  this  piece  had  a  brickyard  and  pottery 
for  common  ware  in  Bucks  County,  in  the  year  indicated. 
While  this  is  not  strictly  an  example  of  slip-decoration,  it 
is  a  curious  piece  of  incised  pottery,  made  on  the  same 
principle  as  the  puzzle  mugs  which  have  been  produced 
in  England  for  two  hundred  years. 

In  searching  for  examples  of  this  curious  ware,  I  have 
received  much  valuable  assistance  from  Mr.  Thomas  B. 

Deetz,  whose  explo- 
rations through  the 
old  farm-houses  in  my 
behalf  have  resulted 
in  the  discovery  of 
many  a  rare  old  piece, 
whose  existence 
would  never  have 
been  suspected  had 
not  myattention  been 
drawn  to  this  untrod- 
den held  by  an  old 
pie  plate  which  I  pro- 
cured from  him,  the 
first  example  of  the 
kind  that  I  had  seen  (see  111.  34).  His  knowledge  of 
Pennsylvania  German,  which  is  generally  spoken  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  enabled  him  to  penetrate  the  mys- 
teries of  ancient  closets,  and  place  at  my  command  the 
hoarded  treasures  concealed  therein. 

One  John  Leidy,  a  German,  made  sgraffiato  and  slip- 
decorated  wares  a  hundred  years  ago,  near  the  present 


31. 


-Two-Handled  Puzzle  Mug.  (Barber 
Coll.)  Pennsylvania  Museum. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


village  of  Souderton,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.  That 
both  varieties  were  manufactured  at  about  the  same  time 
is  clearly  shown  in  two  elaborately  ornamented  dishes, 
ascribed  to  him,  which  have  been  religiously  preserved  as 


32. — Sgraffiato  Dish,  Made  in  Pennsylvania  in  1796,  by  John  Leidy. 
(Barber  Coll.)   Pennsylvania  Museum. 


heirlooms  by  the  recent  owner.  These  interesting  pieces 
measure  each  fourteen  inches  in  diameter.  The  first, 
which  is  two  and  a  half  inches  deep,  with  flat  bottom  and 
sloping  sides,  is  adorned  with  floral  designs  carved  in  the 


76 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


yellowish  slip  and  covered  with  a  green  mottled  glaze, 

and  bears  on  the  margin  the  date,  November  9,  1796,  and 

the  following  inscription  : 

"  Wer  etwas  will  verschwiegen  haben 

Der  derf  es  seiner  frau  nicht  sagen  "  (111.  32). 


33. — Slip-Decorated  Vegetable  Dish,  Made  by  John  Leidy,  Pennsylvania, 

1797. 

The  second,  two  inches  in  depth,  is  traced  with  white, 
green,  and  dark  blue  slips,  on  a  bright  red  body,  in  con- 
ventional devices,  with  bands  of  white  around  the  margin. 
On  the  inclined  rim  is  the  following  couplet : 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  77 


"  Lieber  will  ich  ledig  leben 
Als  der  Frau  die  Hosen  geben," 

and  the  date,  October,  1797  (111.  33).  The  mutinous 
sentiment  contained  in  both  legends  evinces  an  inclina- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  ancient  artist  to  rebel  against 
feminine  domination. 

Of  especial  interest,  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  first 
piece  to  call  my  attention  to  the  existence  of  slip  ware 
in  the  United  States,  is  an  incised,  red  pie-dish,  eleven 
inches  in  diameter,  ornamented  with  birds,  branches,  and 
the  following  inscription  extending  around  the  margin 
and  overlapping  below  : 

"  Fisch  und  Fogel  ;  gehoren  nicht  den  frovven  Flogel  ; 
Aber  Fogel  Fisch,  gehoren  den  Herren  auf  den  disch," 

with  the  date  May  16,  1826,  beneath  what  was  intended 
to  represent  the  American  eagle  (111.  34).  A  free  trans- 
lation of  the  above  would  be  :  "  Fish  and  birds  are  too 
good  for  rough  fellows  and  should  only  be  served  to 
gentlemen." 

We  are  enabled  to  assign  this  piece  to  a  particular 
maker  through  another  example  which  has  recently  come 
to  light.  This  latter,  now  in  my  possession,  is  of  the 
same  size  and  form,  style  of  decoration,  and,  singularly, 
bears  the  same  date,  May  16,  1826.  On  the  lower  half 
is  the  American  eagle,  clutching  an  olive  branch  in  each 
foot,  but  the  upper  design  differs  from  that  of  the  former 
in  the  substitution  of  flowers  for  the  two  birds.  The 
inscription  around  the  margin  is  as  follows  : 


78 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CEL  A  IN. 


"  Wer  das  lieben  ungesund, 
So  dadens  docter  meiten, 
Und  wans  den  wibern  weh  dad  ; 
So  dadens  sie  nicht  leiten." 


This  may  be  translated  thus  : 


"  If  love  were  unhealthy 
Then  the  doctor  would  shun  it, 
And  if  it  would  pain  the  women 
Then  they  would  not  suffer  it." 

The  similarity  of  the  workmanship  and  the  formation 
of  the  letters  in  the  two  pieces,  and,  above  all,  the  corres- 
ponding dates,  prove 
them  to  be  the  work 
of  the  same  hand. 
The  second  piece 
bears  on  the  back  a 
name  and  date,  which 
have  been  scratched 
in  the  clay  before  it 
was  burned, — "  Sam- 
uel Troxel  Potter 
May  the  16th  1826." 
Whether  Troxel  was 

34.— Sgraffiato  Dish,  Pennsylvania,  1826.    the  proprietor  of  the 

(Barber  Coll.)   Pennsylvania  Museum.  , 

pottery  or  merely  a 

workman  employed  there  we  are  unable  to  determine, 

but  it  is  certain  that  he  made  the  two  pieces  described. 

These  interesting  specimens  were  probably  part  of  a  set 

made  to  fill  a  particular  order.     It  is  rather  a  remarkable 

coincidence  that  they  should  have  been  brought  together 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY, 


again,  from  widely  separated  localities,  sixty-seven  years 
after  they  were  manufactured. 

Early  in  the  present  century  John  Nase  produced  simi- 
lar ware,  at  a  pottery  one-half  mile  west  of  the  hamlet  of 
Tyler's  Port,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  about  four  miles 
distant  from  Souderton,  having,  it  is  said,  succeeded  his 
father  in  the  business.  A  dish  in  my  possession  bears 
the  name  Johannes  Neesz  (the  father  of  John),  and  the 
date  1812,  with  the  reverent  words  : 

"  Lieber  Vatter  im  Himmel  reich, 
Was  du  mir  gibst  das  es  ich  gleich." 


35. — Slip  Pitcher  and  Sugar-Bowl.  Made  by  John  Nase  about  1830.  Barber 

Collection. 

I  have  procured  from  some  of  his  descendants  a  num- 
ber of  examples  of  the  work  of  John  Nase,  who  manu- 
factured both  slip  and  incised  ware  in  plates,  mugs,  vege- 
table dishes,  and  other  useful  forms.  One  of  these  is  a 
small  pie-plate  with  sgraffiato  decoration, — a  leaping  stag 
and  spray  of  conventional  flowers,  Pennsylvania  German 
inscription,  and  date,  1814.  He  also  made  pottery  toys, 
such  as  small  tubs  and  bird-shaped  whistles.  That  he  was 
a  skilful  potter  is  amply  shown  in  some  of  his  finer  work. 
An  elaborate  sugar-bowl  and  small  creamer  with  twisted 


8o  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


handle,  which  I  have  recently  acquired  from  a  reliable 
source,  are  decorated  with  dotted  figures  and  festoons  of 
yellow  slip,  and  covered  with  a  heavy,  rich,  dark-brown 
glaze  which  sparkles  with  an  auriferous  sheen  akin  to 


36. — Deep  Slip  Dish.    John  Nase,  1847.    (Barber  Coll.) 
Pennsylvania  Museum. 


goldstone.  The  bowl  is  mounted  with  a  lid  that  is  built 
up  into  a  crown-shaped  ornament  by  the  coiling  of  thin 
ropes  of  clay  into  spirals  and  scrolls.  In  form  the  piece 
bears  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  some  of  the  early 
English  posset-pots  (111.  35). 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


81 


A  characteristic  piece  of  slip-decoration  from  the 
Nase  pottery  is  shown  in  Illustration  36.  Black  and 
white  slips  have  been  traced  on  the  red  body  to  form 
the  figure  of  a  bird  surrounded  with  foliage,  and  the 
words  : 

"  Ich  koch  was  ich  kan 
Est  mein  sail  net  so  est  mein  man," — 

"  I  cook  what  I  can 
Is  -my  pig  neat,  so  is  my  man." 


t 


37. — Dull-Finished  Sgraffiato  Dish.    Made  by  John  Nase  about  1847. 

A  peculiarity  of  some  of  the  work  of  John  Nase  is  the 
absence  of  glazing  on  some  of  the  sgraffiato  ware.  These 

6 


82 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


pieces  have  the  appearance  of  being  covered  with  a  thin 
glossy  wash  or  varnish,  an  effect  produced  by  smearing 
the  inside  of  the  saggers  in  which  they  were  fired  with 
glaze,  which  in  the  kiln  would  vaporize  and  form  a  slight 
deposit  on  the  ware,  technically  known  as  "smear"  glaze. 
A  large  pie-dish  of  this  character  has  scratched  upon  it 
the  figure  of  a  mounted  soldier,  in  Continental  uniform, 
with  trumpet  and  sabre  (111.  37).    Patches  of  green,  blue, 


38. — Sgraffiato  Plate.    Made  by  Frederick  Hildenbrand  about  1830. 

and  red  glazes  have  been  applied  to  the  petals  and  leaves 
of  the  flowers,  but  the  ground  is  dull-finished.  This 
design  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  one  at  the  Nase 
pottery,  as  several  examples  have  recently  come  into  my 
hands.  In  some  instances  the  trumpet  has  been  replaced 
by  a  tobacco-pipe  in  the  right  hand  of  the  rider,  as  in  a 
highly  glazed  specimen  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum, 
Philadelphia,  which  bears  the  date  1847.     A  large  pistol 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  83 


is  sometimes  substituted  for  the  sabre.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested that  the  mounted  figure  was  intended  to  represent 
General  Washington,  but  the  inscriptions  which  are  found 
on  such  pieces  bear  no  allusion  to  the  central  design. 

Frederick  Hildenbrand  was  a  contemporary  of  John 
Nase,  and  had  a  pottery  two  miles  west  of  Tyler's  Port. 


39. — Sgraffiato  Plate.     Made  by  Jacob  Sholl,  Montgomery  County, 

Pa.,  1831. 

Examples  of  his  work  are  scarce,  but  one  which  has  been 
carefully  preserved  by  a  daughter  serves  to  show  the 
character  and  quality  of  his  productions.  This  is  a  dull- 
finished  plate,  eight  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  orna- 
mented with  the  figure  of  a  lion,  passant,  picked  through 
a  coating  of  white  slip.     On  the  back  the  name  of  the 


84 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


workman,  Johanes  Leman,  is  scratched  in  the  paste. 
Leman  is  said  to  have  worked  at  several  of  the  potteries 
in  the  vicinity  at  different  times  (see  111.  38). 

Another  pottery  was  in  operation  about  a  mile  south 
of  Tyler's  Port,  which  was  owned  by  one  Jacob  Sholl. 
He  made  incised  ware  of  a  good  quality  and  considerable 
artistic  merit.  Some  of  his  plaques  were  embellished  with 
floral  designs,  with  and  without  inscriptions,  a  number  of 
them  being  dated  1831.  An  interesting  plate  from  this 
pottery  is  shown  in  illustration  39.  It  is  unglazed,  save 
where  patches  of  green  have  been  applied  to  petals,  and 
bears  the  above  date.  A  large  pie-dish  from  the  Sholl 
pottery  (Barber  collection)  contains  the  incised  device  of 
a  large  eagle  which  covers  the  entire  surface.  In  each 
talon  it  grasps  a  spray  of  flowers,  and  in  its  beak  it  holds 
a  scroll  with  the  English  inscription,  "  Liberty  in  the 
year  1832."  The  plumage  is  represented  by  numerous 
small  curved  incisions,  revealing  the  red  body  beneath. 

A  pair  of  covered  jars,  in  the  possession  of  one  of 
Sholl's  descendants,  are  objects  of  considerable  beauty 
and  reveal  the  touch  of  an  artist.  Bold  floral  designs  are 
engraved  in  the  yellow  slip  which  covers  the  surface,  and 
the  leaves  and  petals  are  tipped  with  green  and  blue 
pigments  under  the  rich  glazing.  On  the  bottom  of  each 
a  conventionalized  flower  is  stamped  in  the  paste  (see 
chapter  on  Marks).  These  are  the  only  examples  of  such 
ware  which  have  come  to  my  notice  that  bear  factory 
marks.  Michael  Fillman  was  a  potter  at  Sholl's  establish- 
ment, and  is  said  to  have  executed  some  of  the  best  work 
produced  there. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  85 


The  following  inscription  is  found  both  on  a  sgraffiato 
dish,  dated  1831,  and  a  spherical  jar  or  flower-pot  with 
floral  designs,  from  the  Sholl  pottery  : 

"  Alles  verfreszen  und  versoffen  vor  Meinem  end 
Macht  ein  richdig  Testament  " — ■ 

"  Everything  consumed  in  gluttony  and  drinking  before  my  end,  makes 
a  correct  testament." 


40. — Sgraffiato  Jars.    Made  by  Jacob  Sholl,  about  1830. 

From  the  old  pottery  of  Benjamin  Berge,  which  was 
also  situated  in  Montgomery  County,  the  author  has  a  pie- 
dish,  thirteen  inches  in  diameter,  containing  the  figure  of 
a  bird,  apparently  a  pigeon,  standing  on  a  branch,  in  the 
attitude  of  plucking  its  breast.  Entirely  around  the 
border  extends  a  curved  spray  of  coarse  flowers.  This 
effective  piece  is  decorated  with  yellow  slip,  but  the  design 
is  not  raised,  as  in  the  other  examples  figured,  but  beaten 


86  PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


or  pressed  into  the  red  body,  as  is  done  at  the  present 
day  in  the  common  red  kitchen  earthen-ware,  presenting 
a  perfectly 'smooth  surface  (111.  41). 

A  coarse,  red  pottery,  with  rude  floral  slip  designs  in 
low  relief,  the  raised  parts  covered  with  yellow,  brown,  and 
green  glazes,  was  made  by  Michael  and  Andrew  Head- 
man, near  Rich  Hill,  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  more  than  half 
a  century  ago.     The  business  is  still  being  carried  on  by 

a  son,  Charles  Head- 
man, but  I  am  in- 
formed that  the  man- 
ufacture of  ornamen- 
tal pottery  has  been 
discontinued.  A 
flower-holder,  a  foot 
in  height,  which  was 
made  in  1849,  *s 
a  characteristic  ex- 
ample of  the  better 
class  of  ware  manu- 
factured here  in  for- 
mer years  (111.  42). 
Many  of  the  inscriptions  which  occur  on  the  old  slip- 
decorated  wares  of  Pennsylvania  were  intended  for  orna- 
ment rather  than  the  perpetuation  of  valuable  precepts, 
while  others  were  designed  solely  to  amuse  ;  hence  we 
find  among  them  some  whose  sentiments  are  more  forci- 
ble than  elegant.  They  were  executed  generally  by 
illiterate  German  workmen,  which  fact  will  account  for 
the  introduction  of  misspelled  words,  which  are  often  difh- 


41. — Slip  Dish.    Made  by  Bentjamin  Berge, 
about  1830.  Barber  Collection. 


THE  EIGH  TEENTH  CEN  TUR  Y.  87 


cult   of   translation,    even    to   those  familiar  with  the 

Pennsylvania  German  dialect.    The  following  will  suffice 

to  show  the  general  character  of  these  inscriptions  : 

On  a  large  circular,  slip-traced  vegetable  dish  of  the 

eighteenth  century  : 

"  Gluck  und  ungliick 
ist  alle  morgen  unser  Friih  stuck  "j — 

"  Fortune  and  misfortune  is  every  morning  our  breakfast." 


42. — Pottery  Flower-Vase.    Made  by  Charles  Headman,  1849.  (Barber 

Coll.)  Pennsylvania  Museum. 

On  a  deep  dish,  decorated  with  white  and  black  slip 

designs  on  a  red  ground  : 

"  An  diesem  disch  gefalt  mirs  nicht 
Derkoch  der  wascht  die  nn(g)er  nicht  " — 

"  (To  eat)  on  this  dish  it  does  not  please  me 
The  cook  has  not  washed  his  fingers." 


88 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CEL  A  IN. 


The  earlier  potters  of  this  section,  bringing-  their  art 
with  them  from  the  fatherland,  employed  tolerably  cor- 
rect German  in  these  inscriptions,  but  their  descendants 
in  time  drifted  into  the  Pennsylvania  German.  There 
were  English  potters,  however,  among  them,  though 
pieces  with  English  legends  are  scarce.  The  old  potteries 
where  inscribed  ware  was  produced  have  entirely  dis- 
appeared, and  I  have  seen  no  pieces  which  were  made 
later  than  the  middle  of  the  present  century.  The  Penn- 
sylvania Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art,  Phila- 
delphia, possesses  the  largest  collection  of  this  ware 
extant. 

TERRA-COTTA. 

The  terra-cotta  works  now  operated  by  Messrs.  A.  H. 
Hews  &  Co.,  at  North  Cambridge,  Mass.,  were  started  in 
Weston,  Mass.,  previous  to  1765,  by  Abraham  Hews, 
great-grandfather  of  the  present  senior  member  of  the  firm. 
The  ware  manufactured  at  first  consisted  of  household 
utensils,  such  as  bean-pots,  pudding  and  milk  pans,  jugs, 
etc.,  and  the  entry  of  transactions  for  one  year  was  con- 
fined to  a  single  page  of  the  day-book.  These  products 
were  usually  sold  in  exchange  for  such  commodities  as 
molasses,  New  England  rum,  and  other  staple  merchandise 
which  formed  the  basis  of  barter  in  those  days. 

The  clay  used  at  Weston  for  some  years  was  brought 
from  Watertown,  and  at  a  more  recent  date  from  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 

During  the  first  century  of  this  pottery's  existence,  the 
firm  name  was  changed  several  times,  first  to  Abraham 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.  89 


Hews  &  Son,  then  to  Abraham  Hews  &  Sons,  and 
later  to  Abraham  Hews'  Sons,  three  brothers  of  Abraham 
Hews  second.  In  1865  the  present  proprietor  was  ad- 
mitted to  partnership  in  the  business,  and  five  years  later 
the  establishment  was  moved 
to  its  present  location,  at  which 
time  the  firm  consisted  of 
Messrs.  A.  H.  &  Horatio 
Hews.  The  latter  soon  after 
retired  and  the  business  was 
continued  in  the  name  of  the 
former.  Previous  to  the  fire, 
which  destroyed  a  portion  of 
the  works  and  all  of  the  ma- 
chinery, on  December  1,  1891, 
it  was  claimed  that  this  factory 
manufactured  more  hand  and 
machine-made  flower  pots  than 
any  other  establishment  in  the 
world.  Large  numbers  of  um- 
brella stands,  jardinieres,  cus- 
pidors, lamp-stands,  garden 
vases,  and  other  fancy  earthen- 
ware were  made  from  natural 

clays,  a  specialty  in  art  pottery    43.— Terra-Cotta  Jardiniere  and 
being    reproductions     of    an-       Pedestal.  A.  H.  Hews  &  Co. 

tique  shapes,  after  Grecian,  Roman,  Etruscan,  Phoeni- 
cian, and  Cypriote  models,  including  creditable  imita- 
tions of  the  productions  of  the  Widow  Ipsen  of 
Copenhagen.      In  the  plain  biscuit  state,  for  decorators, 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


such  ware  is  known  as  Albert  and  Albertine,  the  latter 
differing  from  the  former  in  the  application  of  floral 
designs  in  high  relief.  Copies  of  old  Peruvian  vases 
have  also  been  attempted,  which  included  some  of  the 
double  "  whistling-jars "  so  well  known  to  collectors  of 
Incarial  vessels.  The  most  artistic  and  characteristic 
variety  of  terra-cotta  made  here,  however,  are  the  garden 
vases  and  pedestals  of  a  rich,  dark  color  which  maybe  seen 
in  the  shop  windows  of  almost  any  of  our  city  florists. 
These  are  made  of  natural  clays,  without  artificial  coloring, 
and  ornamented  with  classic  designs  in  relief.  The  works 
have  been  rebuilt  and  are  now  running  again,  with  im- 
proved facilities  for  supplying  the  ever  growing  demand 
for  goods  of  this  character,  which  the  intelligent  efforts 
and  conscientious  business  methods  of  more  than  a 
century  and  a  quarter  have  so  abundantly  merited. 

As  early  as  i  760,  a  pottery  and  glassworks  had  been 
established  at  Germantown,  now  a  suburb  of  Ouincy, 
Mass.,  through  the  exertions  of  Joseph  C.  Palmer  and 
Richard  Cranch,  two  progressive  land  owners,  who  were 
instrumental  in  establishing  manufacturing  enterprises  of 
various  kinds  at  that  point.  The  late  Mr.  E.  P.  Cranch, 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  a  grandson  of  the  latter,  left  among 
his  personal  effects  some  fragments  of  pottery  and  glass 
which  had  been  picked  up  by  his  father  on  the  site  of  the 
old  works.  One  of  the  pieces  of  pottery  is  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  in  thickness,  coarse  in  texture,  and  heavily 
glazed.  Other  examples  are  thinner,  almost  vitreous,  and 
slightly  iridescent,  and  were  apparently  never  glazed,  or 
but  thinly.  There  seem  to  be  no  evidences  of  any  sort  of 
decoration. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTUR  Y. 


FIRST  CHINA   WORKS  IN  PHILADELPHIA. 

Not  until  1769  was  there  any  serious  attempt  made  to 
manufacture  fine  china  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  In 
Watson's  An7tals  of  Philadelphia,  we  find  the  brief  state- 
ment that  "  the  desire  to  encourage  domestic  fabrics  gave 
rise,  in  1  7 7 1 ,  to  the  erection  of  a  flint-glass  manufactory 
near  Lancaster,  by  which  they  hoped  to  save  ^30,000  to 
the  province.  A  china  factory,  too,  was  also  erected  on 
Prime  Street,  near  the  present  Navy  Yard,  intended  to 
make  china  at  a  saving  of  ^15,000."  1  In  a  foot-note  the 
author  adds  :  "  This  long  row  of  wooden  houses  afterwards 
became  famous  as  a  sailors'  brothel  and  riot-house  on  a 
large  scale.  The  former  frail  ware  proved  an  abortive 
scheme."  The  glassworks  to  which  Mr.  Watson  refers 
were  established  at  Manheim,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  by 
Baron  William  Henry  Stiegel,  who  came  from  Manheim 
in  Germany.  Examples  of  colored  glass  goblets  and 
other  pieces  may  be  seen  in  the  extensive  collection  of 
Mr.  George  H.  Danner  of  that  town.  Mr.  Charles  Henry 
Hart,  of  Philadelphia,  made  the  interesting  discovery,  a 
few  years  ago,  of  some  old  advertisements  in  the  news- 
papers of  the  last  century  which  throw  considerable  light 
on  the  early  American  china  works,  and  he  has  kindly 
placed  at  my  disposal  the  results  of  his  researches.  The 
first  of  these  announcements,  which  appeared  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1  769,  is  as  follows  ; 

"  New  China-ware. — Notwithstanding  the  various  dif- 
ficulties and  disadvantages,  which  usually  attend  the  intro- 
duction of  any  important  manufacture  into  a  new  country, 

xVide,  vol.  ii.,  p.  272. 


9  2  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 

the  Proprietors  of  the  China  Works,  now  erecting  in 
Southwark,  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  the  public,  they 
have  proved  to  a  certainty,  that  the  clays  of  America  are 
productive  of  as  good  Porcelain,  as  any  heretofore  manu- 
factured at  the  famous  factory  in  Bow,  near  London,  and 
imported  into  the  colonies  and  plantations,  which  they 
will  engage  to  sell  upon  very  reasonable  terms  ;  and  as 
they  purpose  going  largely  into  this  manufacture  as  soon 
as  the  works  are  completed,  they  request  those  persons 
who  choose  to  favor  them  with  commands,  to  be  as  early 
as  possible,  laying  it  down  as  a  fixed  principle,  to  take  all 
orders  in  rotation,  and  execute  the  earliest  first ;  dealers 
will  meet  with  the  usual  encouragement,  and  may  be  as- 
sured, that  no  goods  under  Thirty  Pounds'  worth,  will  be 
sold  to  private  persons  out  of  the  factory,  at  a  lower  ad- 
vance than  from  their  shops.  All  workmen  skilled  in  the 
different  branches  of  throwing,  turning,  modelling,  mould- 
ing, pressing,  and  painting,  upon  application  to  the  Pro- 
prietors, may  depend  on  encouragement  suitable  to 
their  abilities  ;  and  such  parents,  as  are  inclined  to  bind 
their  children  apprentices  to  either  of  these  branches,  must 
be  early  in  their  application,  as  only  a  few  of  the  first 
offering  will  be  accepted,  without  a  premium  ;  none  will 
be  received  under  twelve  years  of  age,  or  upwards  of  fif- 
teen. All  orders  from  the  country,  or  other  provinces, 
inclosed  in  letters,  postpaid,  and  directed  to  the  China 
Proprietors  in  Philadelphia,  will  be  faithfully  executed, 
and  the  Ware  warranted  equal  to  any,  in  goodness  and 
cheapness,  hitherto  manufactured  in,  or  imported  from 
England." 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY, 


This  card,  which  was  printed  first  on  December  29, 
1769,  fixes  the  date  of  the  beginning  of  this  enterprise,  as 
it  clearly  states  that  the  works  were  then  in  course  of  erec- 
tion. Subsequently  the  proprietors  advertised  for  bones, 
offering  twenty  shillings  per  thousand  "  for  any  quantity 
of  horses  or  beeves  shank-bones,  whole  or  broken,  fifteen 
shillings  for  hogs,  and  ten  shillings  for  calves  and  sheep 
(a  proportionable  price  for  knuckle  bones),  delivered  at 
the  china  factory  in  Southwark,"  concluding  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  capital  works  of  the  factory  were 
then  completed  and  in  full  operation.  The  projectors  of 
this  enterprise  were  Gousse  Bonnin,  who  had  most  proba- 
bly learned  his  trade  at  Bow,  and  George  Anthony  Morris, 
of  Philadelphia.  In  January,  1 77 1 ,  they  applied  to  the 
Assembly  for  pecuniary  assistance,  in  the  form  of  a  pro- 
vincial loan,  the  petition  as  laid  upon  the  table  in  the 
Assembly  room,  being  given  in  full  by  Colonel  Frank  M. 
Etting,  in  his  History  of  Independence  Hall,  which  reads 
as  follows  : 

"the  address  of  the  proprietors  of  the  china 

manufactory. 

"  Worthy  Sirs  : — We,  the  Subscribers,  actuated  as 
strongly  by  the  sincerest  Attachment  to  the  interest  of 
the  Public  as  to  our  private  Emolument,  have  at  our  sole 
Risque  and  Expense  introduced  into  this  Province  a  Manu- 
facture of  Porcelain  or  China  Earthen  Ware,  a  Commodi- 
ty, which  by  Beauty  and  Excellence,  hath  forced  its  way 
into  every  refined  Part  of  the  Globe,  and  created  various 
imitative  Attempts,  in  its  Progress  through  the  different 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Kingdoms  and  Principalities  of  Europe,  under  the  Sanc- 
tion and  Encouragement  of  their  several  Potentates. 
Great  Britain  which  hath  not  been  the  least  backward,  in 
Royal  Testimonials  of  Favour  to  the  first  Adventurers, 
in  so  capital  an  Undertaking,  cannot  yet  boast  of  any 
great  Superiority  in  Workmanship,  surpassing  Denmark, 
France  and  the  Austrian  Netherlands,  she  yields  the 
Palm  to  Saxony,  which  in  her  Turn  gives  place  to  the 
East  Indies.  America,  in  this  general  Struggle,  hath 
hitherto  been  unthought  of,  and  it  is  our  peculiar  Happi- 
ness to  have  been  primarily  instrumental  in  bringing  her 
forward  ;  but  how  far  she  shall  proceed,  in  a  great  Measure, 
depends  on  the  influence  of  your  generous  Support.  We 
have  expended  great  Sums  in  bringing  from  London 
Workmen  of  acknowledged  Abilities,  have  established 
them  here,  erected  spacious  Buildings,  Mills,  Kilns  and 
various  Requisites  ;  and  brought  the  work,  we  flatter  our- 
selves, into  no  contemptible  Train  of  Perfection.  A  sam- 
ple of  it  we  respectfully  submit  to  the  Inspection  of  your 
Honourable  House,  praying  it  may  be  viewed  with  a 
favourable  Eye  having  Reference  to  the  Disadvantages 
under  which  we  engaged  ;  if  happy  enough  to  merit  your 
approbation  we  would  not  wish  to  aspire  at  the  Presump- 
tion of  dictating  the  Measure  of  your  Encouragement,  but 
with  all  Humility  hint  at  the  Manner.  You,  Gentlemen, 
who  are  appointed  to  a  dignified  Pre-eminence  by  the  free 
Votes  of  your  Countrymen,  as  well  for  your  known  At- 
tachment to  their  truest  Welfare,  as  superior  Knowledge, 
must  be  sensible,  that  capital  Works  are  not  to  be  carried 
on  by  inconsiderable  Aids  or  Advancements  :  Hence  it  is, 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


we  beg  leave  to  point  out  the  Propriety  of  a  Provincial 
Loan,  at  the  Discretion  of  your  Honourable  House,  inde- 
pendent of  Interest,  for  a  certain  Term  of  Years.  Under 
such  Indulgence,  on  our  Part  we  shall  not  be  deficient  in 
the  Display  of  a  Lively  Gratitude,  and  the  Promotion  of 
the  Colony's  service,  by  the  introducing  of  an  additional 
Number  of  Experienced  Workmen  the  Extension  of  our 
Buildings,  and  Improvement  of  the  Manufacture,  en- 
deavoring to  render  it  equal  in  Quality  to  such  as  is 
usually  imported,  and  vending  it  at  a  cheaper  Rate.  We 
have  the  Honour,  etc.,  etc." 

Whether  they  were  successful  in  procuring  the  loan 
does  not  appear,  but  later  in  the  same  year  they  adver- 
tised for  "  zaffer  or  zaffera,"  without  which  they  could 
not  make  blue  ware. 

A  curious  old  lottery  ticket,  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Ferdinand  J.  Dreer,  of  Philadelphia,  issued  in  1 77 1 ,  evi- 
dently has  reference  to  this  factory,  and  shows  the  straits 
to  which  the  proprietors  were  driven  to  raise  funds  for  the 
enterprise.    The  ticket  reads  as  follows  : 

NEW  CASTLE  LOTTERY 

FOR  THE  ENCOURAGEMENT  OF   THE   AMERICAN  CHINA 

MANUFACTURE. 

1771.  No.  2257. 

This  Ticket  entitles  the  Bearer  to  such  Prize  as  may  be  drawn 
against  its  Number,  free  from  any  Deduction. 
D. 

Tobias  Rudolph. 


96  POTTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


In  April,  1772,  the  following  appeared  in  the  Philadel- 
phia papers  : 

"  WANTED. 

"  By  the  Proprietors  of  the  China  Manufactory  in 
Southwark,  Several  apprentices  to  the  painting  branch,  a 
proper  person  being  engaged  to  instruct  them  :  The  ad- 
vantage resulting  to  poor  people  by  embracing  such  an 
opportunity  of  bringing  up  their  children  creditably,  are 
too  obvious  to  be  overlooked. 

"  Wanted  also,  several  apprentices  to  the  other 
branches,  of  equal  utility  and  benefit  to  children.  None 
will  be  received  under  indentures  for  less  than  seven 
years,  and  will  be  found  during  that  term  in  every  neces- 
sary befitting  apprentices." 

Shortly  afterward  they  advertised  for  "fifty  wagon 
loads  of  white  flint  stone."  The  attempt  to  make  porce- 
lain at  this  time,  however,  proved  a  failure  in  a  financial 
point,  and  in  the  latter  year  the  proprietors  made  a  public 
appeal  for  charity  in  behalf  of  the  workmen  who  had  been 
brought  to  a  foreign  country  and  were  left  without  means 
of  support.  After  running  about  two  years,  the  factory 
was  permanently  closed,  the  real  estate  was  sold,  and 
Bonnin  returned  to  Enpdand. 

Little  is  known  of  the  ware  made  here.  The  fact  that 
zaffre  was  used  shows  that  blue  decorated  ware  was  made. 
The  employment  of  bones  in  large  quantities  indicated 
that  if  porcelain  was  made  here,  it  was  similar  to  the  Eng- 
lish bone  china.    No  mention  is  made  in  any  of  the  ad- 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY,  97 


vertisements  of  kaolin,  and  we  may  therefore  conclude 
that  hard  porcelain  was  not  attempted.  The  Bow  works 
at  that  period  were  making  little  but  blue  and  white  china, 
as  was  the  case  with  all  of  the  early  English  factories, 
which  employed  almost  exclusively  lapis  lazuli  and  zaffre 
to  color  beneath  the  glaze.  It  is  curious,  however,  to  note 
what  Messrs.  Bonnin  and  Morris  assert  in  their  petition 
in  relation  to  the  wares  produced  in  Great  Britain,  be- 
cause the  fame  of  Josiah  Wedgwood's  Basaltes  or  Egyp- 
tian Black  Ware,  first  made  in  1766,  and  the  earlier 
productions  of  the  Etruria  works,  which  began  operations 
in  June  of  1769,  should  have  reached  America  previous  to 
1 771.  For  several  years  before  the  latter  date  Chelsea 
had  been  turning  out  some  fine  porcelain  exquisitely 
moulded  and  decorated  in  several  colors.  At  other  fac- 
tories throughout  England  artistic  china  was  also  made  to 
a  limited  extent  with  polychrome  decoration.  Previous 
to  the  year  1770  the  Bow  factory  had  commenced  to  use 
gold  and  colors  over  the  glaze,  but  this  fact  may  not  have 
been  known  to  the  American  potters.  Whether  any  of 
the  ware  produced  here  was  ornamented  above  the  glaze 
in  colors  is  not  known,  because  we  have  not  been  able  to 
positively  identify  any  pieces  of  this  character,  although 
several  examples,  embellished  with  baskets  of  roses  in 
natural  colors  and  other  floral  decorations,  are  claimed  to 
have  been  made  at  the  Southwark  factory.  In  the  light 
of  all  the  evidence  which  we  possess,  we  can  only  be  cer- 
tain that  cream-colored  ware  was  made  here,  both  in  plain 
white  and  decorated  in  blue.  An  example  of  the  latter  is 
a  small  white  ware  fruit-basket  in  the  cabinet  of  the 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Franklin  Institute  in  Philadelphia,  six  inches  in  diameter 
and  of  excellent  workmanship.  The  sides  are  of  basket 
or  openwork  pattern,  studded  with  flower-shaped  orna- 


44. — White  Ware  Fruit-Basket,  Blue  Decoration.    Made  in  Philadelphia 
about  1770.    Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art. 

ments  in  relief.  The  decoration  is  blue,  under  the  glaze, 
consisting  of  a  floral  design  in  the  bottom  and  zaffre  blue 
rosettes  around  the  sides.     Underneath  occurs  a  small  P 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 


in  blue,  which  may  have  been  the  factory  mark  (Philadel- 
phia), or  the  initial  of  the  decorator.  There  is  little  rea- 
son to  doubt  the  authenticity  of  this  piece,  which  was 
"  made  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,"  and  deposited 
in  the  Institute  by  Dr.  James  Mease,  author  of  A  Picture 
of  Philadelphia  (1811),  who  was  an  authority  on  his- 
torical matters  and  generally  reliable  in  his  statements. 
We  know  of  no  other  white  ware  factory  in  this  country 
which  was  in  operation  at  that  time.1 

"  The  broken  China  fruit  basket  which  I  have  the 
pleasure  to  present  to  the  Franklin  Institute,  was  part  of 
a  dinner  set,  and  the  first  attempt  at  the  manufacture  of 
China  in  the  United  States,  the  history  of  which  is  as 
follows  : 

"  Mr.  Gousey  Bonnin  of  Antigua,  came  to  Philadelphia 
before  the  American  War,  and  his  father  having  been  a 
correspondent  of  my  father's,  they  became  intimate. 
What  led  him  to  the  speculation,  I  never  heard,  but  in  an 
unfortunate  hour,  he  resolved  to  undertake  the  manufac- 
ture of  China  the  clay  for  which  he  procured  from  White- 
Clay-Creek  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  a  few  miles  from  the 
City  of  Wilmington,  and  with  the  aid  of  five  hundred 
pounds  loaned  him  by  my  father  he  erected  a  long  frame 
building  in  Prime  St.  southward,  which  I  believe  now  leads 
from  the  navy  yard  west. 

"  The  workmen  were  doubtless  procured  from  England, 
and  China  or  Ware  of  quality  of  the  broken  Specimen 

1  Since  the  above  was  written,  the  example  described  has  been  placed  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania Museum,  together  with  the  original  letter  of  presentation  by  Dr.  Mease  to  the 
Franklin  Institute  in  1841,  which  has  recently  come  to  light.  This  letter,  given  here 
in  full,  absolutely  identifies  this  piece  and  gives  us  further  facts  relating  to  the  old 
Southwark  factory. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


was  made,  but  to  what  extent  I  cannot  say  :  However  the 
news  was  soon  conveyed  to  England  that  the  manufacture 
had  commenced,  when  speedily  arrived  cargoes  of  the 
English  or  Dutch  Ware  sufficient  to  supply  the  demand 
of  the  Colony  or  Colonies.  Unable  to  withstand  the  com- 
petition with  the  manufacturers  in  Europe,  Mr.  Bonnin 
ceased  his  labours. 

"  The  dinner  set  of  his  China  was  all  that  my  father 
got  for  his  ^500. 

"  The  quality  of  it  was  about  equal  to  the  Delft  ware  of 
Holland  of  which  much  of  the  American  table  sets  was 
composed,  and  which  was  first  imported  into  England 
previously  to  being  sent  to  this  Country,  the  direct  trade 
being  prohibited. 

"  James  Mease. 

"  February  22,  1841." 

It  does  not  seem  probable  that  porcelain  was  ever 
made  here.  All  white  ware  was  known,  at  that  time,  as 
"  china."  The  wording  of  some  of  the  advertisements, 
however,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  proprietors  had 
the  manufacture  of  a  finer  ware  in  contemplation  before 
the  disastrous  termination  of  the  enterprise.  At  least  no 
examples  of  true  porcelain  made  at  this  factory  have,  as 
yet,  come  to  light. 

The  year  1 769  seemed  to  have  marked  the  establish- 
ment of  several  important  ceramic  manufactories  in  the 
United  States.  While  the  Philadelphia  china  works  were 
in  course  of  erection,  a  similar  project  was  under  con- 
sideration in  Boston,  as  appears  by  an  advertisement  in 
the  Boston  Evening  Post  (weekly),  of  May  15,  1769,  a  tran- 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY,  101 

script  of  which  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  the  librarian 
of  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  which  reads  as  follows : 

"  wanted  : 

"  Samples  of  different  Clays  and  fine  white  Sand.  Any 
Person  or  Persons  that  will  send  about  31b.  of  Clay  and  a 
Pint  of  fine  white  Sand  to  Leigh's  Intelligence  Office  in 
Merchants  Row,  Boston,  (if  its  the  Sort  wanted)  the 
Proprietors  will  have  advantageous  Proposals  made  to 
them  to  supply  a  Quantity.    Boston,  May  12,  1769" 

A  subsequent  advertisement  in  the  same  paper,  under 
date  of  October  16,  1769,  shows  that  the  enterprise  was 
then  in  full  operation  : 

"  Wanted  immediately  at  the  new  Factory  in  New- 
Boston,  four  Boys  for  Apprentices  to  learn  the  Art  of 
making  Tortoise-shell,  Cream  and  Green  colour  Plates, 
Dishes,  Coffee  &  Tea  Pots,  Cups  and  Saucers,  and  all  other 
Articles  in  the  Potter's  Business,  equal  to  any  imported 
from  England.  Any  Persons  inclining  to  bind  out  such 
Lads  to  the  aforesaid  Business,  is  desired  to  apply  imme- 
diately at  the  said  Factory  or  at  Leigh's  Intelligence- 
Office.    Boston,  Octo.  16,  1769." 

In  Holt's  New  York  Journal  of  1774  and  1775  an  ad- 
vertisement appeared  describing  the  ware  made  in  that 
city  at  that  early  day.    It  is  given  here  in  full : 

"  EARTHEN  WARE. 

"  Now  manufacturing,  and  to  be  sold  at  the  well  known 
House  called  Katechemet's  Mead-House,  about  mid  way 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


between  the  New  City-Hall  and  the  Tea-Water  Pump, 
on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  road  as  you  go  out  of  the 
city  ;  where  city  and  country  store-keepers  may  be  sup- 
plied with  any  quantity  of  said  Ware,  at  reasonable  rates. 
The  Ware  is  far  superior  to  the  generality,  and  equal  to 
the  best  of  any  imported  from  Philadelphia,  or  elsewhere, 
and  consists  of  butter,  water,  pickle  and  oyster  pots,  por- 
ringers, milk  pans  of  several  sizes,  jugs  of  several  sizes, 
quart  and  pint  mugs,  quart,  pint,  and  half  pint  bowls,  of 
various  colours  ;  small  cups  of  different  shapes,  striped  and 
coloured  dishes  of  divers  colours,  pudding  pans  and  wash 
basons,  sauce  pans,  and  a  variety  of  other  sorts  of  ware, 
too  tedious  to  particularize,  by  the  manufacturer,  late 
from  Philadelphia, 

"Jonathan  Durell. 

"  N.  B. — The  purchaser  of  twenty  shillings,  or  upwards, 
may  depend  on  having  it  delivered  to  any  part  of  this 
city,  without  charge." 

From  the  above  it  would  appear  that  even  before  the 
Revolution  the  wares  made  in  Philadelphia  had  acquired 
a  reputation  abroad  for  excellence.  It  seems  that  Jon- 
athan Durell  had  been  previously  a  manufacturer  in  Phila- 
delphia. In  his  new  field  of  labor  he  produced  " striped 
and  coloured  dishes  of  divers  colours"  which  he  claimed  to 
be  "  equal  to  the  best  of  any  imported  from  Philadelphia." 
What  was  the  nature  of  this  ware  ?  Most  probably  the 
red  and  black  pottery,  variegated  with  green  and  yellow 
oxides,  which  was  so  commonly  made  at  that  period. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY, 


103 


Mrs.  S.  L.  Oberholtzer  of  Norristown  informs  me  that 
her  ancestors,  Thomas,  John,  and  Paxson  Vickers,  succes- 
sively carried  on  the  manufacture  of  earthenware  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  in  West  Whiteland  township,  for  an  unin- 
terrupted period  of  seventy  years  previous  to  1823,  and 
from  that  date  until  1865,  in  Uwchlan  township.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  ordinary 
household  pottery, 
they  made  elaborate 
vases  for  flowers, 
animal  and  orna- 
mental figures.  Mrs. 
Oberholtzer  has  in 
her  possession  an 
interesting  series  of 
objects  from  this 
pottery,  consisting  of 
pie-dish  moulds,  roll- 
ers, pounders,  and 
other  tools  used  in 
the  work,  the  oldest 
dated  example  being 
a  mould  on  which 
occur  the  initials  J. 
V.,  and  the  date  1806. 


45. — Pottery  "  Money-Bank,"  Norwich,  Ct. 
James  Terry  Collection. 


The  buildings  of  this  old  pottery 
have  long  since  disappeared. 

Before  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  several 
stoneware  and  earthenware  potteries  were  in  operation  in 
Connecticut.  At  "  Bean  Hill,"  near  Norwich,  good  ware 
was  made  and  specimens  of  pottery  in  the  form  of  "  money- 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


safes  "  for  children,  one  bearing  the  date  i  794,  and  another 
181 2,  the  latter  owned  by  Mr.  James  Terry,  of  New 
Haven  (111.  45),  are  still  in  existence.  A  cider-bottle, 
in  the  shape  of  a  hollow  ring,  made  to  carry  on  the  arm 
of  a  mower  in  the  field,  is  also  extant. 

In  1 791,  John  Curtis  was  making  a  good  quality  of 
pottery  in  Philadelphia,  from  clay  obtained  where  the 
brewery  now  stands,  at  Tenth  and  Filbert  streets,  and  his 
name  is  found  in  the  city  directories  as  late  as  181 1,  in  the 
same  business. 

One  of  the  earliest  potteries  established  in  Vermont 
was  that  of  John  and  William  Norton,  two  brothers,  who 
came  from  Connecticut  and  commenced  making  red  earth- 
enware at  Bennington,  in  1 793.  Seven  years  later  they 
took  up  the  manufacture  of  plain  stoneware,  which  has 
been  continued  down  to  the  present  time.  The  business 
is  at  present  carried  on  by  Messrs.  C.  W.  Thatcher  and 
E.  L.  Norton,  the  former  being  the  first  person  not  a 
Norton  who  has  ever  had  an  interest  in  the  establishment. 
The  junior  member  of  the  firm  is  a  great-grandson  of 
John  Norton,  one  of  the  founders. 

It  is  probable  that  other  potteries  in  America  followed 
the  example  of  the  Burlington  pottery  in  the  manufacture 
of  white  ware  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  previous 
century.  Mr.  John  D.  McCormick,  proprietor  of  the 
American  Potters  Journal,  Trenton,  N.  J.,  states  that 
"  the  New  Jersey  Journal,  printed  at  Elizabethtown,  in 
its  issue  of  January  25,  1792,  contains  the  following: 
'  The  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  Encouragement  of 
Manufactures  and  the  Useful  Arts,'  in  their  list  of  pre- 


THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY, 


miums  for  that  year  offer  the  following  :  The  conditions 
are — 

"  '  i. — To  such  person  as  shall  exhibit  the  best  speci- 
men of  Earthenware  or  Pottery,  approaching  nearest  to 
Queensware,  or  the  Nottingham  or  Delf  ware,  of  the  mar- 
ketable value  of  fifty  dollars — a  plate  of  the  value  of  fifty 
dollars,  or  an  equivalent  in  money. 

"  '  2. — To  such  person  as  shall  exhibit  the  best  speci- 
men of  Stoneware,  or  that  kind  of  Earthenware  which  is 
glazed  with  salt,  of  the  value  of  fifty  dollars,  a  plate  of 
fifty  dollars'  value,  or  that  sum  in  specie.' 

"  The  exhibitors  were  required  to  have  the  ware  manu- 
factured in  New  Jersey  or  Pennsylvania.  Here  we  have 
abundant  proof  that  there  was  ware  manufactured  here 
closely  resembling  Queensware  in  quality,  and  that  its 
manufacture  was  encouraged  by  the  society  whose  adver- 
tisement we  have  just  quoted."  As  we  have  already  seen, 
salt-glazed  stoneware  had  been  made  by  at  least  one 
pottery,  in  New  York,  which  started  in  1735. 

A  stoneware  pottery  was  in  existence  at  Norwalk, 
Connecticut,  as  early  as  1780.  Mr.  James  Lycett,  who  is 
at  present  operating  the  establishment  which  is  said  to  be 
a  continuation  of  the  original  concern  in  that  place,  be- 
longs to  a  family  of  potters  who  have  been  identified  with 
the  trade  in  Stoke-upon-Trent  for  a  hundred  years.  It 
is  claimed  that  his  grandfather  built  the  kilns  for  the 
Spode  works  when  the  first  porcelain  was  made  there  in 
the  year  1800.  His  father  and  uncle  came  to  this  country 
in  1849,  and  for  some  time  worked  at  the  United  States 
Pottery  in  Bennington,  Vt.,  where  the  uncle  died.  The 


io6 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


senior  Lycett  then  went  to  Norwalk,  where  he  worked  in 
the  pottery  of  Mr.  Asa  Smith,  afterwards  the  A.  E. 
Smith's  Sons  Pottery  Co.,  and  subsequently  the  Norwalk 
Pottery  CQmpany,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Lycett. 

At  Old  Bridge  (now  Herbertsville),  N.  J.,  stoneware 
was  made  at  Van  Wickle's  pottery,  from  South  Amboy 
clays,  in  the  first  decade  of  the  present  century,  and  similar 
ware  was  manufactured  at  Roundabout  (now  Sayreville) 
on  the  Raritan,  about  1802. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


OPERATIONS  DURING  THE  FIRST  QUARTER 
OF  THE  PRESENT  CENTURY. 

ANDREW  MILLER  had  a  pottery  at  37  and  39  Sugar 
^    Alley,  Philadelphia,  previous  to  179 1,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  make  common  earthenware  for  many  years. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Abraham  and  Andrew  Miller,  Jr., 
who,  from  18 10  to  18 16,  operated  a  pottery  at  the  corner  of 
Seventh  and  Zane  streets.      Shortly  afterwards  Abraham 
Miller  became  sole  proprietor,  and  at  the  Exhibition  of 
the  Franklin  Institute,  held  in  October,  1824  (the  year  in 
which  the  Institute  was  founded),  he  displayed  some  "  red 
and  black  glazed  tea-pots,  coffee-pots,  and  other  articles  of 
the  same  description.    Also  a  sample  of  platinated  or  lus- 
tre pitchers,  with  a  specimen  of  porcelain  and  white  ware, 
all  of  which,"  according  to  the  report  of  the  judges,  "ex- 
hibited a  growing  improvement  in  the  manufacture,  both 
in  the  quality  and  form  of  the  articles.    It  is  but  a  few 
years  since  we  were  under  the  necessity  of  importing  a 
considerable  proportion  of   this  description  of  ware  for 
home  consumption,  but  since  our  potters  have  attained 
the  art  of  making  it  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  imported, 
and  as  cheap,  they  have  entirely  excluded  the  foreign  ware 
from  the  American  market." 

107 


io8 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


In  the  Report  of  the  Exhibition  of  the  Franklin  Insti- 
tute, held  in  October,  1835,  it  is  recorded  that  "a  novel 
and  interesting  exhibition  was  furnished  from  the  pottery 
of  Mr.  Abraham  Miller,  of  Philadelphia,  consisting  of  a 
variety  of  specimens  of  black  and  red  earthenware,  in  the 
various  stages  of  its  manufacture,  from  the  crude  material 
to  the  finished  ware,"  and  at  the  Exhibition  of  1842  he 
made  a  display  of  finer  earthenware,  such  as  plates, 
vases,  and  ornamental  flower-pots.  Soon  after  he  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  charcoal  furnaces  in  great 
numbers,  the  larger  patterns  being  provided  with  a  cylin- 
der attachment  for  roasting  coffee,  and  open  grates  of 
fire-brick. 

About  1840  Mr.  Miller  moved  his  factory  to  James 
Street  near  Broad,  as  appears  in  the  following  card,  which 
has  been  furnished  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Buck: 

ABRAHAM  MILLER 

IMS  UEJtMOYEn  HIS  JfI.1JY UF.l CTOIZ 1* 

From  Zane  Street  to  James,  near  Broad  Street, 

SPRIXG  GARDEN, 

'Where  his  Works  are  now  in  full  operation,  conducted  hy  his  late  Foreman,  Mr.  C.  J.  Boultfr. 

His  Warehouse  continues  in  Zarie  Street, 

Next  door  West  of  its  former  place,  where  he  has  constantly  for  Sale,  by 
WHOLESALE  OR  RETAIL, 

A  large  Assortment  of  PORTABLE  FURNACES,  STOVE  CYLINDERS,  FIRE 
BRICKS  and  SLABS,  TEA-POTS  and  EARTHENWARE,  PIPE  CASES,  DENTISTS' 
FURNACES,  MUFFLES,  SLIDES,  &c.  &o. — KAOLIN  and  CLAYS,  crude  or  prepared; 
SI  LEX  and  SPAR,  crude  or  levigated  to  an  impalpable  powder,  and  free  from  impurities. 
Sales  made  only  at  the  Warehouse,  Zane  Street. 

SILEX,  or  FELSPAR  ground3  or  any  article  in  his  line  made  to  order,  as  speedily  as 
practicable. 

(EF All  Orders  are  to  he  left  at  the  Warehouse,  onlv,  where  they  will  be  promptly 
attenfed.tr>. 

PhitniVn.  Dcecmhcr  -22'/, 

Ellintr.  Printer.  51,  Chfstnul  Si 


THE  PRESENT  CENTUR  Y. 


Abraham  Miller  was  one  of  the  most  progressive 
American  potters  of  his  day  and  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  intelligence  and  ability,  and  at  one  time  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  State  Senate,  where  he  was  the 
courageous  advocate  of  numerous  reform  measures.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Franklin 
Institute  for  many  years,  and  was  frequently  selected  as 
one  of  the  judges  for  the  awarding  of  premiums  at  the 
annual  exhibitions. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Miller  was  probably  the 
first  in  this  country  to  make  the  lustred  or  silvered  ware 
which  had  become  celebrated  in  England.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  first  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  to  experiment 
in  making  porcelain,  in  which  he  was  remarkably  success- 
ful, but  for  some  reason  he  never  produced  it  for  the 
market.  His  standard  or  staple  productions  were  red, 
yellow,  Rockingham,  and  a  limited  quantity  of  white  ware. 
He  was  well  versed  in  the  constitution  and  peculiarities 
of  clays,  and  at  one  time  made,  for  his  own  gratification, 
some  figures  with  lace-work  drapery,  which  he  produced 
by  employing  real  lace,  which  he  carefully  covered  with 
slip  of  the  proper  quality  and  consistency,  and  which, 
after  being  burned  away  in  the  kiln,  left  the  clay  form  as 
perfect  in  texture  as  the  original.  He  made  a  Tarn 
O'Shanter  mug  in  Rockingham  which  was  very  popular 
at  one  time,  large  numbers  of  them  being  produced  about 
1840.  Mr.  Miller  procured  much  of  the  machinery  and 
many  of  the  moulds  of  the  Tucker  and  Hemphill  factory 
when  the  latter  was  closed  in  1838.  He  died  about  1858 
and  the  business  was  continued  by  his  foreman, 


1 10         POTTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN, 

MR.  CHARLES  J.  BOULTER, 

who  was  at  one  time  connected  with  the  Tucker  and 
Hemphill  China  Manufactory  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
remained  until  the  works  were  closed.  Subsequently  he 
became  connected  with  Mr.  Abraham  Miller  at  Zane  and 
Seventh  streets  in  the  capacity  of  foreman,  and  when  this 
pottery  was  moved  to  James  Street  near  Broad,  in  1840, 
he  became  superintendent  of  the  new  establishment. 
After  Mr.  Miller's  death  Mr.  Boulter  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness for  many  years,  manufacturing-  watch-makers'  sup- 
plies, dentists',  assayers',  and  cupellers'  portable  furnaces, 
muffles,  slides,  tiles,  and  fire-bricks.  He  subsequently 
moved  the  works  to  161 7-1627  North  Street,  and  when 
he  died,  on  March  2,  1872,  the  business  passed  into  the 
hands  of  his  daughters,  two  of  whom,  Misses  E.  A.  and 
A.  L.  Boulter,  still  carry  it  on. 

A  "  china"  manufactory  existed  in  Philadelphia  in 
1800,  but  very  little  is  known  regarding  it.  A  friend  has 
recently  shown  me  a  letter,  dated  August  14,  1800,  writ- 
ten by  a  merchant  of  that  city  to  his  wife,  who  was  then 
visiting  in  New  Jersey,  in  which  occurs  the  following 
interesting  bit  of  news  :  "  On  account  of  a  man  being 
murdered  at  the  China  Factory  on  Monday  evening  last, 
a  block  maker  by  trade,  a  number  of  the  same  profession, 
with  Rope  makers  and  Carpenters,  assembled  and  on 
Tuesday  evening  began  to  pull  down  the  buildings  ;  they 
continued  at  their  work  till  yesterday  mid-day, — it  was 
pulled  down  by  Ropes  in  spite  of  all  the  Squires  and 
Constables  that  could  be  collected — say  every  house, 
only  leaving  the  Chimneys  standing."    The  writer,  an 


THE  PRESENT  CENTUR  Y.  1 1 1 

ancestor  of  the  present  owner  of  the  letter,  was  in  busi- 
ness at  that  time  near  Fourth  and  Chestnut  streets,  and 
we  are  led  to  infer  that  the  factory  was  somewhere  in  that 
neighborhood.  All  white  ware  at  that  time  was  known 
as  china,  and  the  term  was  evidently  applied  to  queens- 
ware, — hardly  to  porcelain. 

Messrs.  Binney  and  Ronaldson  made  yellow  and  red 
tea-sets  in  South  Street,  Philadelphia,  in  1808. 

A  queensware  pottery  in  Philadelphia,  in  1808,  was 
known  as  the  Columbian  Pottery,  of  which  Alexander 
Trotter  was  proprietor,  and  examples  of  his  work  were 
exhibited  at  Peale's  Museum  in  that  year.  At  the  great 
Republican  dinner  of  July  4,  1808,  an  "  elegant  jug  and 
goblets  from  the  new  queensware  manufactory  of  Trotter 
&  Co."  formed  part  of  the  table  service.  Governor 
Simon  Snyder,  in  his  message  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Legislature,  in  December,  1809,  referred  to  this  factory 
when  he  stated  that  "we  have  lately  established  in  Phila- 
delphia a  queensware  pottery  on  an  extensive  scale." 

The  Columbian  Pottery  was  situated  on  South  Street, 
between  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth,  in  18 10.  The  ware 
produced  there  was  claimed  to  be  equal  in  quality  and 
workmanship  to  the  best  made  in  Staffordshire.  Mr. 
Trotter  retired  from  business  about  18 13. 

Captain  John  Mullowny  was  a  brickmaker  on  Locust 
Street,  near  Schuylkill,  Philadelphia,  in  1808  and  1809. 
A  year  later  he  moved  to  No.  228  Pine  Street,  the 
Washington  Pottery,  where  he  made  bricks  and  earthen- 
ware. Little  is  known  of  this  manufactory  save  what  is 
contained  in  the  following  advertisement,  which  appeared 


I  I  2 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


in  the  Aurora, — General  Advertiser,  published  in  Phila- 
delphia, in  May,  1810: 

"  Washington  Ware, 

Manufactured  in  Philadelphia  at  the 

Washington  Pottery  : 

Red,  yellow,  and  black  coffee-pots, 
Tea-pots,  pitchers,  etc.,  etc. 
and  for  sale, 

Wholesale  and  retail  at  the  ware-house  in  High, 
between  Schuylkill  6th  and  7th  streets. 

Any  device,  cypher,  or  pattern  put  on  China  or  other  ware  at  the 
shortest  notice,  by  leaving  orders  at  the  ware-house  as  above. 

Journeymen  Potters,  and  a  few  Boys,  may  find  constant  employment, 
by  applying  at  No.  228,  Pine  St.  or  the  Ware  House  above." 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  warehouse  was  on 
Market  Street,  near  Seventeenth,  in  18 10,  while  the  works 
were  on  Pine  Street.  In  181 3  the  latter  seem  to  have 
been  moved  to  the  Market  Street  warehouse,  and  Captain 
Mullowny  became  director,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
for  three  years  or  more. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  century  many  of  Philadelphia's 
prominent  potters  learned  their  trade  at  the  old  Mullowny 
pottery. 

Israel  Seymour  made  stoneware  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  from 
about  i  809  to  1865. 

Paul  Cushman  had  a  stoneware  factory  at  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  first  decade  of  this  century,  and  some  ex- 
amples of  his  salt-glazed  ware  are  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  S.  L.  Frey,  of  Palatine  Bridge,  N.  Y.,  one  of  which 
bears  the  inscription,  impressed  on  the  surface  of  the  jar, 


THE  PRESENT  CENTUR  V.  113 

and  twice  repeated  around  the  body,  "  Paul  Cushman 
Stone  Ware  Factory  1809  Half  a  Mile  West  of  Albany 
Gaol."  Another,  in  the  form  of  a  jar,  fourteen  inches  in 
height,  is  marked  with  the  makers  name  ;  while  a  third, 
possessing  two  ear-shaped  handles,  is  decorated  with  in- 
cised vine-work,  in  addition  to  the  name  (111.  46). 

The  Central  New  York  Pottery,  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  was 
built  by  a  Mr.  Nash  about  the  year  18 19.  In  1828,  Noah 
White  came  into  posses- 
sion, and  in  1840  the  firm 
name  became  Noah  White 
&  Sons,  the  new  partners 
being  Nicholas  A.  and  Wil- 
liam White.  About  1853, 
the  last  named  member 
withdrew,  and  the  style 
became  Noah  White,  Son 
&  Co.,  William  N.,  a  son  of 
Nicholas,  being  admitted. 
In  1865,  on  the  death  of 
the  head  of  the  house,  the 
name  was  altered  to  N.  A. 
White  &  Son,  and  at  the 
decease  of  the  latter,  in  1876,  the  business  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  survivor.  In  1880,  the  firm  name  was 
again  changed  to  N.  A.  White  &  Son,  when  Charles  N. 
White,  the  present  manager  of  the  works,  was  admitted. 
In  1886,  Mr.  N.  A.  White  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight, 
having  been  on  the  property  for  sixty  years. 

The  original  business  was  the  manufacture  of  coarse 


ii4         PO TTER Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 

stoneware,  such  as  butter  crocks,  jugs,  and  jars.  In  1852, 
the  manufacture  of  fire-brick  was  added,  and  still  continues. 
At  present  the  works  make  a  specialty  of  "  Flemish " 
stoneware  goods  of  a  high  grade.  The  decorations  are 
artistic  and  attractive,  the  colors  used  being  blue,  brown, 
and  green.  Beer-mugs,  tankard-jugs,  "  growlers,"  wine- 
jugs,  flower-vases,  punch-bowls,  match-stands,  and  spit- 
toons, in  many  handsome  designs  and  sizes,  form  but  a 
portion  of  the  products  of  these  works.     The  metal- 


47- 

Fancy  Jug.  "  Carlsbad"  Mug.  Water  Keg. 


covered  mugs  and  tankards  made  here  compare  favorably 
with  the  best  imported  manufactures  of  the  same  class 
both  in  form  and  ornamentation.  Special  designs  and 
decorations,  with  suitable  inscriptions  in  English  and  Ger- 
man, are  made  to  order.  The  pieces  are  marked  on  the 
bottom  with  a  number  corresponding  to  the  price-list 
number,  which  gives  capacity  and  size.  It  is  gratifying 
to  Americans  to  know  that  goods  of  such  superior 
excellence  and  artistic  merit  can  be  made  at  home  and 


THE  PRESENT  CENTURY. 


"5 


at  prices  which  insure  successful  competition  with  foreign 
wares. 

Daniel  Freytag  was  making  at  No.  192  South  Fifth 
Street,  Philadelphia,  in  181 1,  a  finer  quality  of  china-ware 
than  had  yet  been  produced  in  the  United  States.  It  was 
made  of  various  colors,  and  was  embellished  with  gold  and 
silver;  and  in  181 7  David  G. 
Seixas  manufactured  an  imita- 
tion of  the  Liverpool  white 
crockery  from  native  Ameri- 
can clays  with  great  success, 
continuing  the  business  until 
1822. 

Porcelain  was  made  in  New 
York  City  early  in  the  cen- 
tury, probably  by  Dr.  Mead. 
How  long  this  factory  was 
in  operation  is  not  known,  but 
it  is  believed  that  a  fine  grade 
of  ware  was  made  there  from 
American  materials.  A  vase 
fifteen  inches  in  height,  of  soft 
body    and    exceedingly  white 

glaze,  is  preserved  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum.  This 
was  "  finished  in  New  York  in  181 6,"  and  is  supposed 
to  have  been  made  at  that  factory.  The  handles  are 
modelled  in  the  semblance  of  female  figures  (111.  48).  It 
is  entirely  devoid  of  gilding  or  coloring,  and  is  made  in 
two  parts,  held  together  by  a  screw  and  nut,  after  the 
French  manner. 


48. — Porcelain  Vase,  New  York, 
1816. 


1 1 6         PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


THE   HAIG  POTTERY,  PHILADELPHIA. 

In  1812  Thomas  Haig,  who  came  from  Scotland, 
where  he  had  learned  his  trade  as  a  queensware  potter, 
established  a  pottery  in  the  Northern  Liberties,  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  commenced  the  manufacture  of  red  and 
black  ware.  At  the  second  annual  exhibition  of  the 
Franklin  Institute,  Philadelphia,  in  1825,  Mr.  Haig  ex- 
hibited some  specimens  of  red  and  black  earthenware, 
"  which,  if  they  had  been  sent  in  time,  might  have  entitled 
him  to  the  silver  medal."  This  exhibit  consisted  of  tea- 
pots, coffee-pots,  pitchers,  strainers,  cake-moulds  and  pans, 
"  from  clay  taken  in  the  city.  These  articles  are  consid- 
ered of  very  superior  quality,  and  are  in  the  opinion  of  the 
judges  better  than  goods  of  the  same  kind,  brought  from 
England.  The  body  of  the  ware  is  perfectly  burned  and 
deprived  of  all  absorbent  qualities.  The  glaze  is  good 
and  free  from  cracks,  and  the  workmanship  is  neat."  Judg- 
ing from  examples  in  my  own  possession,  which  were 
made  at  that  pottery  about  that  time  or  a  few  years  later, 
this  nattering  description  of  the  ware  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  undeserved.  Indeed  the  quality  of  the  glazing 
and  neatness  of  the  workmanship  are  superior  to  similar 
wares  made  at  the  present  time  by  other  potteries. 

At  the  third  annual  exhibition,  in  1826,  the  Franklin 
Institute  awarded  Thomas  Haig  a  "  Bronzed  Medal"  for 
the  best  red  earthenware  sent  in. 

In  1833,  after  the  death  of  the  founder,  his  two  sons, 
James  and  Thomas,  carried  on  the  business,  and  in  1858 
were  making  stoneware,  chemical  ware,  crucibles,  etc.,  in 


THE  PRESENT  CENTUR  K  117 

addition  to  earthenware,  and  were  using  steam  for  grind- 
ing the  clay.  At  the  death  of  the  former,  Thomas  Haig 
assumed  complete  control,  and  died  recently,  in  his  eighty- 
third  year.  The  manufacture  of  stoneware  was  discon- 
tinued some  years  ago,  but  fire-brick,  tile,  Rockingham, 
and  yellow  wares  are  still  made.  A  few  years  ago  relief 
plaques  and  vases  were  produced,  a  number  of  female 
artists  being  employed  in  their  decoration,  but  this  branch 
was  soon  discontinued  for  want  of  sufficient  patronage. 

At  the  present  time  this  pottery  is  also  producing 
terra-cotta  flower-pots,  fancy  earthenware  pitchers,  glazed 
hanging  baskets,  and  vases  after  antique  designs,  which 
latter  are  furnished  in  biscuit  to  decorators.  One  of  the 
potters  employed  here,  Mr.  John  S.  Jennings,  has  pro- 
duced some  very  ingenious  miniature  pieces  in  the  form  of 
vases,  molasses  jugs,  mugs,  and  pitchers,  which  are  said  to 
be  the  smallest  specimens  ever  made  in  the  regular  manner 
on  the  potter's  wheel,  some  of  them  being  scarcely  as 
large  as  a  pea.  Another  of  Mr.  Haig's  workmen  makes 
a  specialty  of  "  puzzle  mugs,"  on  the  principle  of  those 
made  at  Brampton,  England,  in  the  last  century,  which 
are  almost  identical  in  form  to  some  produced  by  John 
Wedgwood  as  early  as  1 691,  of  which  an  interesting  ex- 
ample may  be  seen  in  the  Museum  of  Practical  Geology, 
London. 

A  stoneware  pottery  was  started  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J., 
somewhere  about  18 16.  At  a  later  date  it  was  operated 
by  a  Mr.  Pruden  who  made  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares. 
We  have  seen  some  large,  heavy  water  pitchers,  decorated 
with  patriotic  symbols  in  relief,  which  were  produced 


it8 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


about  the  time  of  the  Centennial  Exposition.  The  factory 
is  now  owned  by  Messrs.  L.  B.  Beerbower  &  Co.,  who 
make  ironstone  china,  cream-colored  and  print-decorated 
goods  in  druggists'  ware,  toilet,  table,  and  culinary  sets. 

The  pottery  now  managed  by  the  widow  of  Henry 
Gast,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  dates  back  to  about  1825.  Common 
red  and  yellow  wares  were  made  there,  and  at  one  time  a 
limited  amount  of  white  ware.  Fancy  figures,  fountains, 
and  statuettes  were  also  produced  to  some  extent  in  red 
clay.  Latterly  this  pottery  has  produced  a  considerable 
number  of  cinerary  urns  for  crematories.  At  one  time 
white  clay  tobacco  pipes  were  made,  and  a  few  fancy 
glazed  umbrella  and  cane  handles.  Floor  tiles  of  yellow 
clay,  octagonal  and  rhomboidal,  were  also  made  to  some 
extent  some  fifteen  years  ago.  These  were  heavy,  un- 
glazed  tiles,  six  or  eight  inches  across,  and  an  inch  in 
thickness. 

THE  JERSEY  CITY  POTTERY. 

The  Jersey  Porcelain  and  Earthenware  Company  was 
incorporated  in  "  the  town  of  Jersey,  County  of  Bergen," 
on  December  10,  1825,  under  an  act  of  the  New  Jersey 
Legislature,  in  which  George  Dummer,  Timothy  Dewey, 
Henry  Post,  Jr.,  William  W.  Shirley,  and  Robert  Abbatt, 
Jr.,  were  named  as  incorporators.  In  the  following  year 
the  products  of  the  factory  were  awarded  a  silver  medal 
at  the  exhibition  of  the  Franklin  Institute,  Philadelphia, 
as  being  the  "  best  china  from  American  materials."  In 
the  Trumbull-Prime  collection  is  a  small  porcelain  bowl, 
with  heavy  gold  band,  which  was  made  at  this  pottery,  of 


THE  PRESENT  CENTUR  Y.  1 1 9 

good  body  and  excellent  glaze.  The  manufacture  of 
porcelain,  however,  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
continued  there  for  more  than  about  three  years.1 

The  works  were  purchased  by  Messrs.  D.  &  J.  Hen- 
derson about  1829,  and  a  year  later  they  exhibited  "  flint 
stoneware  "  of  a  superior  quality  at  the  Franklin  Institute. 
Mr.  A.  G.  Richmond,  of  Canajoharie,  N.  Y.,  possesses  a 


49. — The  Old  Pottery,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 


mottled  Toby  jug  made  at  that  period  and  marked  "  D  & 
J.  Henderson,  Jersey  City,"  in  a  circle,  impressed  in  the 
paste  (111.  50).  In  1833,  David  Henderson  organized  The 
American  Pottery  Manufacturing  Company,  "  for  the 
purpose  of  manufacturing  the  various  kinds  of  pottery,  at 

1  In  a  pamphlet  on  The  Mineralogy  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  Delaware,  and  Mary- 
land, published  by  George  W.  Carpenter  in  1828,  it  is  stated  that  "  the  manufactory 
of  porcelain  at  Jersey  City  has  been  discontinued,  and  that  at  Philadelphia  is  stated  to 
be  the  only  one  in  the  United  States." 


1 20 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CELAIN. 


the  works  already  erected."  By  an  act  of  Assembly 
passed  January  18th  in  that  year,  Messrs.  David  Hender- 
son, John  V.  B.  Varick,  Robert  Gilchrist,  John  Cassedy, 
and  J.  Dickinson  Miller,  of  Jersey  City,  and  Edward 
Cook,  George  Tingle,  and  John  Steele,  of  New  York, 
were  appointed  commissioners  to  receive  subscriptions  to 

the  stock,  which  was  to 
be  limited  to  $150,000. 
We  know  little  about 
the  ware  produced  here 
during  the  next  seven 
years,  excepting  the  fact 
that  a  buff  or  cream- 
colored  body,  of  excel- 
lent quality,  was  used 
extensively.  For  the 
first  time  in  America 
the  English  method  of 
transfer  printing  in  dec- 
oration was  adopted  by 
these  works.  During 
the  exciting  Presiden- 

50. — Toby  Ale  Jug.    Made  by  D.  &  J.  Hen  . 
derson.    Collection  of  A.  G.  Richmond.      tial  campaign  of  1 840, 

or  shortly  after  the  elec- 
tion, a  large  eight-sided  water-pitcher  of  cream-colored 
ware  was  produced,  bearing  on  each  of  the  four  front  panels 
black  underglaze  prints,  consisting  of  an  engraving  of  a 
log  cabin  at  the  top,  over  the  legend  4<  The  Ohio  Farmer," 
a  portrait  bust  of  W.  H.  Harrison  in  the  centre,  and  the 
American  eagle  below.    This  piece  was  marked  on  the 


THE  PRESENT  CENTURY. 


I  2  I 


bottom,  in  black,  under  the  glaze,  with  a  flag  bearing  the 
inscription,  "  Am.  Pottery  Manuf'1.  Co.  Jersey  City" 
(see  chapter  on  Marks).  At  this  time  Daniel  Greatbach, 
who  came  from  a  family  of  noted  English  potters,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  at  one  time  a  modeller  for  the  Ridgways 
of  Cauldon  Place,  England,  was  employed  at  this  factory, 
and  designed  a  large  number  of  ornate  pieces,  some 
of  which  were  produced  until  the  factory  was  closed. 
An  earthen  water-pitcher, 
embellished  with  hunting- 
scenes  in  relief,  and  handle 
in  form  of  a  deer-hound, 
continued  to  be  a  popular 
design  for  nearly  half  a 
century  (see  111.  51). 

In  1842,  an  exhibit  of 
goods  produced  by  this 
company  was  made  at  the 
Franklin  Institute,  con- 
sisting of  embossed  ware, 

jugs,  tea-ware,  etc.,  which  5i. -Hunting  Pitcher.  Designed  by  Dan- 
J  0  iel  Greatbach,  Jersey  City  Pottery. 

took  a  silver  medal.  A 

glazed  white-ware  spittoon,  evidently  one  of  this  series,  is 
still  preserved  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Institute,  which  is 
decorated  with  raised,  conventional  designs  in  white,  on  a 
dark-blue  ground,  the  upper  surface  being  fluted  and  in 
solid  blue.  A  cream-colored  pottery  pan  or  nappie,  of 
fine  body  and  glaze,  in  the  same  collection,  with  impressed 
mark,  American  Potty  Co,  Jersey  City,  is  another  ex- 
ample of  the  excellent  ware  produced  at  that  time. 


122 


PO  T  TER  Y  A  ND  POP  CEL  A  IN. 


The  name  of  the  establishment  was  changed  to  The 
Jersey  City  Pottery  about  forty  years  ago.  Many  of  the 
best  potters  of  the  old  school  in  the  United  States  learned 
their  trade  at  this  factory.  In  1848  large  quantities  of 
druggists'  jars  were  being  made.    After  several  alterations 

in  the  firm  name, 
Messrs.  Rouse  and 
Turner  became  pro- 
prietors. The  for- 
mer, Mr.  John  Owen 
Rouse,  came  from 
the  Derby  Works, 
England,  nearly  forty 
years  ago.  Mr.  Na- 
thaniel Turner  was 
born  and  reared 
among  the  Stafford- 
shire potteries  at 
Tunstall,  and  since 
his  death,  in  1884,  the 
business  has  been 
carried  on  by  Mr. 
Rouse   alone.  The 

products  of  the  fac- 

5a.-"  Worcester"  Vase,  Jersey  City  Pottery.  for  SQme  g 

Decorated  by  Mr.  Edward  Lycett.  j 

have  been  ornamen- 
tal forms  in  white  biscuit  and  glazed  ivory  white  for 
decorators,  and  porous  cups  for  telegraphic  purposes,  of 
which  some  5,000  have  been  produced  weekly.  Of  the 
plain  shapes  in  ivory  white  ware,  one  of  the  most  graceful 
is  the  "  Worcester  "  vase,  so-called  because  it  is  a  repro- 


THE  PRESENT  CENTURY. 


123 


duction  of  an  old  pattern 
Works  in  England.  It  is  said 
presented  with  a  vase  of 
this  shape  by  Mr.  Samuel 
Vaughan  of  London,  in 
conjunction  with  a  pair  of 
vases  of  different  design, 
which  have  been  identi- 
fied as  Worcester  pieces. 
An  example  of  this  form, 
from  the  Jersey  City  Pot- 
tery, is  shown  on  p.  r2  2. 
It  measures  two  feet  in 
height  and  was  decorated 
by  Mr.  Edward  Lycett. 
On  a  turquoise  blue,  mot- 
tled ground  are  artistically 
painted  flowers,  poppies 
on  one  side,  and  on  the 
other  hollyhocks  in  nat- 
ural colors.  A  graceful 
wreath  of  convolvulus  or- 
naments the  cover.  The 
handles  are  gilded,  and 
bands  of  gold  encircle  top 
and  bottom. 

Another  effective  form 
was  called  the  "  King "  53- 
vase.    The  example  here 
figured  was  decorated  by  Mr. 
Georgia.  The  subject  on  the 


produced  at  the  Worcester 
that  George  Washington  was 


Sjjjjujjjn 


iVffl^m.Min.i.i 


wmmma. 


—  "King "  Vase,  Jersey  City  Pottery. 
Decorated  by  Mr.  W.  Lycett. 

W.  Lycett,  now  of  Atlanta, 
side  shown  in  the  engraving 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


is  "The  Tired  Dancing  Girl"  The  painting  is  applied  to 
the  ivory  tint  of  the  ware,  the  borders  and  handles  being 
of  dead  gold,  heightened  with  black.  On  the  reverse  side 
is  a  floral  group.  This  piece  measures  sixteen  and  a  half 
inches  in  height. 

When  Mr.  Rouse  first  became  connected  with  the 
works  he  found  a  large  quantity  of  the  old  stock  of  un- 
decorated  porcelain  in  the  warerooms,  which  has  since 
been  sold.  A  large  number  of  engraved  copper  plates  on 
hand  at  that  time,  since  stolen  or  lost,  showed  to  what  ex- 
tent transfer  printing  had  formerly  been  practised.  Hun- 
dreds of  the  old  moulds  were,  until  recently,  stored  in  the 
loft  of  the  old  building,  among  which  were  four  different 
varieties  and  sizes  of  Toby  jugs,  a  pitcher  with  rope  and 
anchor  decoration  in  relief,  and  another  with  raised  designs 
of  tulips,  a  figure  of  Christ,  an  Apostle  jug  with  raised 
representations  of  apostles  in  panels,  hunting  pictures, 
etc.,  some,  if  not  all,  being  the  work  of  Greatbach.  We 
have  seen  examples  of  the  largest  Toby  pitcher  made  here 
(about  1840),  nearly  a  foot  in  height,  with  excellent  brown 
glaze  outside  and  lined  with  white.  Pitchers  and  other 
pieces  were  also  decorated  with  medallion  portraits  of 
prominent  men,  modelled  in  relief,  a  likeness  of  Daniel 
O'Connell  being  among  the  best. 

In  the  summer  of  1892  the  old  pottery  property  passed 
into  other  hands,  and  the  old  buildings,  which  had  stood  in 
almost  their  original  condition  for  more  than  sixty-five 
years,  were  torn  down  to  make  way  for  a  new  manufactur- 
ing establishment.  Both  wings  of  the  original  structure 
were  standing,  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  until  Novem- 
ber of  that  year,  when  the  work  of  demolition  commenced, 


THE  PRE  SEN  T  CENTUR  Y.  125 

and  at  the  same  time  wagon  loads  of  the  old  moulds,  which 
had  cost  thousands  of  dollars,  the  accumulation  of  over  half 
a  century,  were  hauled  away  and  ruthlessly  dumped  on  the 
meadows.  Thus  has  disappeared  one  of  the  oldest  ceramic 
landmarks,  dear  to  the  memory  of  many  an  old  potter 
still  living,  as  the  cradle  of  the  pottery  industry  in  the 
United  States.  All  of  the  moulds  of  vessels  were  de- 
stroyed, but  from  this  wreck  a  small  series  of  ornamental 
designs,  believed  to  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  made 
by  Greatbach  during  the  earlier  years  of  the  pottery's 
existence,  were  rescued  by  Mr.  Rouse  and,  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  the  writer,  placed  in  the  collection  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum  of  Art.  These  consist  of  finely  modelled 
leaves,  animals  in  hunting  scenes,  floral  designs,  and  other 
decorative  details. 

In  1878  Messrs.  Rouse  and  Turner  presented  to  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York,  a  pottery  barrel, 
with  relief  ornaments,  made  about  1830,  at  this  pottery, 
by  David  Henderson.  A  many-sided  pottery  pitcher,  sur- 
mounted with  Toby  head,  is  owned  by  Rev.  F.  E.  Snow, 
of  Guilford,  Conn.,  on  which  is  the  mark,  "American 
Pottery  Co.,  Jersey  City,  N.  J."  impressed  in  a  circle. 

Mr.  John  O.  Rouse  still  continues  the  manufacture  of 

porous  cups  within  two  blocks  of  the  site  of  the  old 
pottery. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY. 

AS  we  have  already  seen,  several  partially  successful 
attempts  had  been  made  toward  the  manufacture 
of  porcelain  by  progressive  potters  in  the  United 
States  previous  to  the  year  1825,  but  to  Mr.  William  Ellis 
Tucker,  of  Philadelphia,  belongs  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  to  supply  the  home  market  with  a  purely  American 
product  of  this  character.  The  story  of  his  remarkable 
life-work  and  the  history  of  the  factory  which  he  established, 
the  first  important  one  of  its  kind  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  especial  interest  to  the 
ceramic  student.  Commencing  his  investigations  with  no 
previous  knowledge  of  the  composition  of  the  ware,  nor  of 
the  processes  of  its  fabrication,  he  set  resolutely  to  work 
to  discover  its  hidden  mysteries,  and,  wholly  unaided  by 
the  practical  experience  of  others,  he  succeeded  in  a  few 
years  in  perfecting  from  new  and  untried  materials,  a 
porcelain  equal  in  all  respects  to  the  best  which  England 
had  produced  after  eighty  years  of  continual  experiment. 
His  body  was  neither  that  of  the  French  potters  nor  the 
true  bone  of  the  English,  but  partook  of  the  characteristics 
of  both,  the  proportion  of  phosphate  of  lime,  as  shown 

by  analysis,  being  about  eight  per  cent.,  a  very  much 

126 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MAN  UFA  CTOR  Y.  127 


smaller  percentage  than  in  the  English  bone  body.  While, 
therefore,  the  Tucker  china  cannot  be  classed  as  a  soft 
paste,  its  specific  gravity  and  thoroughly  vitreous  char- 
acter would  seem  to  fairly  entitle  it  to  be  called  a  hard 
porcelain,  which  it  more  nearly  resembles.  Indeed,  fire- 
tests  made  by  Prof.  Isaac  Broome,  to  whom  I  submitted 
specimens,  show  that  the  Tucker  porcelain  will  stand  a 
higher  degree  of  heat  than  the  Sevres  ware. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  but  little  has  been  published 
relative  to  this  early  venture,  although  sixty  years  ago 
Philadelphians  justly  prided  themselves  on  their  "  China 
Factory,"  and  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  strangers  to 
visit  it,  as  one  of  the  principal  points  of  interest  in  the  city. 
The  following  account  of  this  enterprise  includes  most  of 
the  material  which  I  prepared  for  Lippincott 's  Magazine 
of  December,  1892,  and  a  number  of  the  illustrations  used 
here  have  been  furnished  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
editor  of  that  journal. 

During  the  years  18 16  to  1822,  Benjamin  Tucker,  a 
member  of  the  religious  Society  of  Friends,  had  a  china 
shop  on  the  south  side  of  Market  (then  called  High) 
Street,  at  No.  324,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  streets, 
Philadelphia,  near  where  the  new  Post-Office  building  now 
stands.1  Within  this  period  he  built  a  small  kiln  in  the 
rear  of  his  property  for  the  use  of  his  son,  William  Ellis 
Tucker,  who  was  thus  enabled  to  employ  much  of  his  time 
in  painting  on  the  imported  white  china  and  firing  it  in 

1  Some  time  previous  to  1825,  Benjamin  Tucker,  the  father,  retired  from  the  china 
business  and  established  a  select  academy  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Fifth  and  Mul- 
berry streets,  where  for  several  years  he  was  known  as  a  prominent  educator.  He  had 
been  a  teacher  from  1799  to  I8i4,  as  the  Philadelphia  directories  show. 


128 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  kiln.  These  attempts  at  decoration  were  at  first 
crude  and  unsatisfactory,  but  they  served  to  arouse  an 
interest  in  the  subject,  which  soon  led  him  to  commence 
experimenting  with  different  clays  which  he  procured  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  city.  These  investigations  finally 
resulted  in  the  production  of  a  fair  quality  of  opaque 
queensware.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  kaolin  and 
feldspar,  and,  after  repeated  failures,  he  at  length  suc- 
ceeded in  discovering  the  proper  proportions  of  these  in- 
gredients, with  bone-dust  and  flint,  necessary  for  the 
manufacture  of  a  high  grade  of  porcelain.  The  body  thus 
obtained  was  translucent  and  of  considerable  hardness, 
density,  and  toughness,  and  capable  of  withstanding  ex- 
treme changes  of  temperature.  The  glaze  was  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  body  and  of  excellent  composition. 

About  the  year  1825,  Mr.  Tucker  first  seriously  at- 
tempted the  manufacture  of  the  ware  as  a  business  venture. 
The  old  water-works  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Schuylkill- 
Front  (Twenty-third)  and  Chestnut  streets  were  obtained 
from  the  city,  in  which  the  necessary  kilns,  etc.,  were 
erected.1  On  October  23,  1826,  he  purchased  four  acres 
of  land,  on  which  a  feldspar  quarry  was  situated,  from 
Alexander  Dixon,  of  Newcastle  County,  Delaware. 

Mr.  Thomas  Tucker,  a  younger  brother,  who  was  at  a 
later  date,  as  we  shall  see,  associated  with  him  in  the  busi- 
ness, prepared  an  historical  sketch  of  this  factory,  which  was 
read  before  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  on 
June  8,  1868.    The  following  quotations  from  this  paper 

1  Mr.  Charles  Henry  Hart  informs  me  that  a  water-color,  by  Captain  Watson,  of 
the  Royal  Navy,  entitled,  "View  from  the  Porcelain  Factory  near  the  Schuylkill 
Permanent  Bridge,"  was  exhibited  at  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Philadelphia,  in 
1829. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  129 

will  show  some  of  the  difficulties  encountered  in  the  manu- 
facture of  porcelain  at  that  period  : 

"  He  burned  kiln  after  kiln  with  very  poor  success. 
The  glazingwould  crack,  and  the  body  would  blister  ;  and, 
besides,  we  discovered  that  we  had  a  man  who  placed  the 
ware  in  the  kiln  who  was  employed  by  some  interested 
parties  in  England  to  impede  our  success. 


54. — The  Old  Water-Works,  Philadelphia,  Used  as  a  China  Manufactory 

in  1825. 

"  Most  of  the  handles  were  found  in  the  bottom  of  the 
seggars  after  the  kiln  was  burned.  We  could  not  account 
for  it,  until  a  deaf-and-dumb  man  in  our  employment 
detected  him  running  his  knife  around  each  handle  as  he 
placed  them  in  the  kiln. 

"  At  another  time,  every  piece  of  china  had  to  be 
broken  before  it  could  be  taken  out  of  the  seggar.  We 

always  washed  the  round  O's,  the  article  in  which  the 

9 


130 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


china  was  placed  in  the  kiln,  with  silex  ;  but  this  man  had 
washed  them  with  feldspar,  which  of  course  melted,  and 
fastened  every  article  to  the  bottom.  But  William  dis- 
charged him,  and  we  got  over  that  difficulty." 

While  the  body  and  glaze  of  Tucker's  earlier  pieces 
were  good,  the  workmanship  and  decoration  were  inferior. 

A  premium  was  offered  by  the  Franklin  Institute,  at 
its  Fourth  Annual  Exhibition,  held  in  Philadelphia  on 
October  18,  1827,  "for  the  best  specimen  of  porcelain, 
to  be  made  in  Pennsylvania,  either  plain  white,  or  gilt," 

and  the  following  is  taken  from 
the  report  of  the  Committee  on 
awards :  "  This  is  a  manufac- 
ture of  great  importance  to  the 
country,  as  most  of  the  capital 
expended  is  for  labour  ;  the  ma- 
terials being  taken  from  our  soil, 
in  great  abundance  and  purity. 
The  highest  credit  is  due  to  Mr. 
Wm.  E.  Tucker  for  the  degree 
of  perfection  to  which  he  has  brought  this  valuable  and 
difficult  art.  The  samples  (No.  174)  of  this  ware  were 
made  by  him.  The  body  of  the  ware  appeared  to  be 
strong,  and  sufficiently  well  fired,  the  glaze  generally 
very  good,  the  gilding  executed  in  a  neat  and  workman- 
like manner.  Some  of  the  cups  and  other  articles  bear 
a  fair  comparison  with  those  imported,"  and  for  this 
exhibit  a  silver  medal  was  awarded. 

In  1828  Mr.  Thomas  Tucker  commenced  to  learn  the 
different  branches  of  the  business.    At  the  exhibition  of 


55. — Tucker  Creamer. 
Sepia  Decoration. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY. 


the  Franklin  Institute  in  this  year,  Mr.  Tucker  received  a 
second  silver  medal  for  the  exhibit  of  one  hundred  pieces 
of  best  porcelain  made  in  the  United  States,  gilt,  painted, 
and  plain.  The  Judges  compared  it  favorably  with  the 
best  French  china,  and  pronounced  it  superior  in  white- 
ness and  gilding.  During  the  same  year,  Mr.  Thomas 
Hulme,  of  Philadelphia,  invested  some  money  in  the 
business  and  was  admitted  to  partnership,  as  appears  by 
the  mark  found  on  a  number  of  pieces  made  in  that  year, 
being  printed  in  red,  beneath  the  glaze, — "  Tucker  & 
Hulme,  China  Manufacturers,  Philadelphia,  1828."  These 
examples  show  a  marked  improvement  in  decoration  over 
anything  that  had  emanated  from  this  factory  before. 
The  rough  brown  daubs  intended  for  embellishment,  but 
execrable  to  a  degree,  gave  place  during  this  period  to 
artistic  groupings  of  flowers  and  fruits,  painted  in  natural 
colors.  This  partnership,  however,  does  not  seem  to  have 
continued  for  more  than  a  year  or  so.  Whether  the 
withdrawal  of  funds  from  the  business  by  Mr.  Hulme 
proved  an  embarrassment  to  the  senior  partner  does  not 
appear,  but  it  is  known  that  Mr.  Tucker  soon  afterward 
experienced  the  necessity  of  government  support,  and 
applied  to  Congress  for  aid.  He  placed  himself  in  com- 
munication with  some  of  the  public  men  at  the  national 
capital,  among  others  Andrew  Jackson,  as  the  following 
letter  will  show  : 

"Washington,  April  3d,  1830. 

"  Sir, — I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  letter  of  the  3d  of 
March,  and  since,  the  porcelain  which  it  offered  to  my  acceptance.  I 
was  not  apprised  before  of  the  perfection  to  which  your  skill  and  per- 


132         PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN, 

severance  had  brought  this  branch  of  American  manufacture.  It 
seems  to  be  not  inferior  to  the  finest  specimens  of  French  porcelain. 
But  whether  the  facilities  for  its  manufacture  bring  its  cost  so  nearly 
to  an  equality  with  that  of  the  French,  as  to  enable  the  moderate  pro- 
tection of  which  you  speak  to  place  it  beyond  the  reach  of  competition 
in  the  markets  of  the  world,  is  a  question  which  I  am  not  prepared  to 
answer.  If  congress  could  be  made  acquainted  with  the  experiments 
on  the  subject,  and  they  should  confirm  your  favorable  anticipation, 
there  would  be  scarcely  a  doubt  of  its  willingness  to  secure  the  impor- 
tant results  of  the  manufacture.  I  do  not  see,  however,  any  mode  by 
which  this  can  be  effected  on  any  other  principle  than  that  of  protec- 
tion. You  would  probably  have  a  right  to  a  patent  for  the  discovery, 
but  this  right  would  have  to  be  determined  in  the  usual  way.  Congress 
have  refused  to  make  a  donation  to  the  heirs  of  Robert  Fulton  for  the 
national  benefits  resulting  from  his  discovery,  upon  the  principle  that 
the  Constitution  does  not  provide  any  other  reward  for  the  authors  of 
useful  discoveries  than  that  which  is  contained  in  the  article  in  relation 
to  Patents.  The  same  objection  would  of  course  defeat  your  applica- 
tion for  $20,000,  as  a  remuneration  for  this  discovery,  or  as  a  reward 
for  its  free  communication  to  the  world. 

"It  will  give  me  much  pleasure  to  promote  the  objects  you  have  in 
view,  so  far  as  they  are  within  my  constitutional  sphere.  There  is  no 
subject  more  interesting  to  me  than  that  which  concerns  the  domestic 
economy  of  our  country,  and  I  tender  you  my  sincere  thanks  for  an 
example  of  its  success  so  creditable  to  yourself. 

"With  great  respect  believe  me 
"  Yr.  Obt.  Svt 

"Andrew  Jackson. 

"  Mr.  Wm.  Ellis  Tucker, 
"  Philadelphia." 

While  his  application  to  Congress  proved  futile,  he 
continued  the  manufacture,  and  in  1831  received  from  the 
American  Institute  of  New  York  a  silver  medal  for  an 
exhibit  of  his  wares  in  that  year. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  133 


On  the  22d  of  August,  1832,  William  Ellis  Tucker 
died,  but  previous  to  that  date  Judge  Joseph  Hemphill,1 
of  Philadelphia,  had  been  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the 
business.  The  latter  had  recently  returned  from  a  trip  to 
Europe,  where  he  had  become  deeply  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  porcelain.  Messrs.  Tucker  and  Hemphill 
purchased  the  property  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Schuyl- 
kill-Sixth  (Seventeenth)  and  Chestnut  streets,  where  they 
erected  a  large  factory, 
storehouse,  and  three  kilns, 
and  greatly  increased  the 
producing  capacity  of  the 
works.  In  1832,  scarcely 
two  months  before  Mr. 
Tucker's  death,  they  made 
another  appeal  to  Congress 
for  the  passage  of  a  tariff 
bill  which  would  afford 
them  protection  from  for- 
eign competition.  In  re- 
ply to  a  letter  written  to 
Henry  Clay  at  that  time,  the  following,  bearing  on  this 
subject,  was  received  : 

1  Judge  Hemphill  was  born  in  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.,  on  January  7,  1770,  and  was 
appointed  President  Judge  of  the  District  Court  in  Philadelphia,  by  Gov.  Snyder,  in 
1811,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  several  years.  He  afterwards  represented  that  city 
in  Congress  for  three  terms.    He  died  on  May  29,  1842. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  that  William  Ellis  Tucker,  the  china  manufac- 
turer, was  related  to  William  E.  Tucker,  who  was  at  one  time  a  prominent  landscape 
and  historical  engraver  in  Philadelphia.  The  latter,  while  a  contemporary  of  the 
former,  lived  until  1857,  and  was  never  interested  in  the  porcelain  industry.  The 
similarity  of  names  has  naturally  led  to  the  erroneous  impression  that  the  potter  and 
the  engraver  were  one  and  the  same,  especially  as  the  earliest  productions  of  the 
Philadelphia  China  Factory  were  often  decorated  with  landscapes  and  historical  views. 


56. — "Grecian"  Pitcher.  (Barber 
Collection)  Pennsylvania  Museum. 


134         PO  TTER  Y  A ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 

"  Washington,  23d  June,  1832. 

"  Gentlemen  : — I  received  your  favor  of  the  21st  inst.  on  the  subject 
of  your  manufacture  of  Porcelain.  I  had  been  previously  aware  of  its 
existence,  and  had  seen  some  beautiful  specimens  of  its  production. 

"  When  the  Tariff  bill  shall  be  taken  up  in  the  Senate,  I  will  take 
care  that  its  attention  shall  be  drawn  to  it.  Such  is  the  state  of  parties 
here,  however,  the  friends  of  protection  combating  against  the  Treasury 


57. — Portrait  of  Judge  Joseph  Hemphill. 

bill,  sustained  by  the  whole  weight  of  the  Administration,  that  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  anticipate  results  or  any  part  of  the  Tariff. 

"  With  great  respect, 

"  I  am  your  ob.  serv., 
"  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Hemphill,  "  H.  Clay. 

"  Porcelain  Manufacturers, 

"  Philadelphia." 

A  card  in  my  possession,  which  has  been  kindly  sent 
to  me  by  Mr.  James  H.  Buck,  of  Philadelphia,  was  issued 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  135 


from  the  new  factory  at  Seventeenth  and  Chestnut  streets 
about  that  time,  a  fac-simile  of  which  is  here  given.  It  is 
interesting  on  account  of  the  information  it  contains. 


£  AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY,  % 

%  '  S.  W.  Corner  of  Schuylkill  Sixth  Chesnut  St$.,  Z 
Z  OR  AT  THE  DEPOSITORY,  Z 

Z        jVii    '"I  I"  1   I1  ;  BPgi  I  &8B8E§S3pZ~-~  Z 

«£>     Where  is  constantly  kept  on  hand,  a  superior  assortment  of  Z 

*  China,  comprising  Dinner  Sets,  Tea  Sets,  Vases,  Mantel  * 
^  Ornaments,  Pitchers,  Fruit  Baskets,  &c,  8cc,  either  plain  Z 
<8>  or  ornamented,  and  of  the  latest  patterns,  which  may  be  par-  <#> 
3£  chased  for  Cash,  at  reduced  prices.  * 

^  also  are  offered  for  sale,  * 

I  FIRE-BRICK  #  TILE,  % 

'%  Of  a  superior  quality,  manufactured  in  part  from  the  materials  Z 

#  of  which  the  China  is  composed. — These  have  been  proved,  by  <& 
^  competent  judges,  to  be  equal  to  the  best  Stourbridge  Brick.  1| 


After  the  death  of  the  founder,  Mr.  Thomas  Tucker 
continued  to  superintend  the  business,  which  was  carried 
on  in  the  name  of  Joseph  Hemphill,  who  associated  with 
him  his  son,  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Coleman  Hemphill,  of 
West  Chester,  Pa. 

In  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Tucker's  estate,  the  value  of 
three  kilns  and  slip  pan,  at  the  new  factory,  was  estimated 
by  Mr.  Brinton  Codies,  the  appraiser,  at  $1,100,  "the 
iron  work  not  included." 

Soon  after  the  business  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Judge  Hemphill  artists  and  artisans  were  brought  over 
from  France,  England,  and  Germany,  and  a  more  pre- 
tentious stvle  of  decoration  was  introduced.  The  French 
methods  of  ornamentation  came  much  into  vogue  about 
this  time.  The  ware  was  sold  very  extensively  to  the 
well-to-do  people  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  and 
nearly  every  family  of  prominence  or  wealth  had  table 


1 36         PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


services  or  pieces  made  to  order  and  decorated  with 
initials,  monograms,  medallions,  or  amorial  bearings,  usu- 
ally enclosed  in  wreaths  of  flowers  or  gold  tracery.  Com- 
pact bands  of  exquisitely  painted  flowers,  in  which  the 
rose,  tulip,  and  forget-me-not  were  generally  prominent, 
encircled  many  of  the  finer  pieces.  Some  of  the  vases 
and  pitchers  and  many  of  the  table  pieces  were  close 

copies  of  Sevres  forms, 
and  some  of  the  ware 
sold  at  the  present 
time  for  French  work 
by  bric-a-brac  dealers, 
was  made  in  Phila- 
delphia between  1833 
and  1838.  Excellent 
portraits  of  prominent 
men  were  painted  on 
some  of  the  larger 
pieces,  an  example  of 
the  latter  being  still 
preserved  in  a  pitcher 
owned  by  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Wayne,  of  Paoli, 
Pa.,  which  is  embellished  on  one  side  with  a  view  of 
the  historic  monument  at  Paoli,  and  on  the  other  with 
a  colored  likeness  of  Major-General  Anthony  Wayne, 
copied  from  an  oil  portrait  by  Charles  Wilson  Peale. 
This  interesting  piece  is  one  of  a  pair  made  for  Colonel 
Isaac  Wayne,  son  of  General  "Mad  Anthony,"  and  is 
marked  on  the  bottom,  in  red,  "  Manufactured  by  Jos. 


58. — Hemphill  Pitcher,  with  Portrait  of 
Washington.    (Barber  Collection) 
Pennsylvania  Museum. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY,  137 


Hemphill,  Philad."  A  similar  example,  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum,  is  a  pitcher  containing  a  tinted  portrait 
of  General  Washington,  which,  according  to  Mr.  Charles 
Henry  Hart,  an  authority  on  Washington  portraits,  is 
evidently  a  copy  of  one  of  William  Birch's  enamels  after 
Stuart's  first  picture,  known  as  the  Vaughan  portrait,  now 
in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Joseph  Harrison,  of  Phila- 
delphia. Mr.  Ferdinand  J.  Dreer,  of  the  same  city,  also 
owns  a  porcelain  vase  on  which 
is  a  painting  of  Napoleon  at  the 
burning  of  Moscow,  which  he 
purchased  at  the  factory  in  1833. 

In  this  year  Judge  Hemphill 
received  honorable  mention  at 
the  Exhibition  of  the  Franklin 
Institute  for  his  exhibit  of  "  vari- 
ous samples  of  American  porce- 
lain, in  the  moulding  and  glazing 
of  which  great  improvement  has 
been  made  since  the  last  exhibi- 
tion ;  the  body  of  the  article  is 
considered  equal,  if  not  superior    59  _Vase>  Napoleon  at  the 

tO  that   of   the   imported."      He       Burning  of  Moscow.  Mr. 

Ferdinand  J.  Dreer. 

also    received    a    diploma  and 

silver  medal  from  the  American  Institute  of  New  York 
in  the  same  year. 

The  porcelain  works  continued  with  varying  success 
for  several  years.  By  an  Act  of  Assembly  dated  April 
*5»  ^SS,1  an  American  Porcelain  Company  was  incor- 

1  An  Act  to  Incorporate  an  American  Porcelain  Company,  passed  April  15,  1835. 
Thomas  P.  Cope,  Alexander  Read,  William  P.  Bryan,  Thomas  Tucker,  Rockland 


138  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

porated,  consisting  of  Eastern  gentlemen,  to  whom  Judge 
Hemphill  sold  his  interest.  Whether  this  company  ever 
operated  the  works  does  not  fully  appear,  but  it  would 
seem  doubtful,  as  Judge  Hemphill  made  an  exhibit  of 
wares  again  at  the  Franklin  Institute  in  1836.  It  is  said 
that  the  company,  being  unfortunate  in  other  enterprises, 
were  not  able  to  give  the  porcelain  manufacture  proper 
attention. 

On  October  1,  1837,  after  the  retirement  of  Judge 
Hemphill,  the  factory  was  leased  for  a  term  of  six  months 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Tucker,  who  purchased  all  of  the  unburned 
ware  then  on  hand,  with  the  other  materials  and  fixtures,  as 
appears  in  an  article  of  agreement  signed  by  John  Rynex, 
at  Boston,  who  seems  to  have  acquired  the  property,  or 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  agent.  The  new  proprietor  con- 
tinued the  manufacture  of  fine  porcelain  for  about  a  year, 
until  he  had  filled  a  store,  which  he  had  taken  on  Chest- 
nut street,  above  Seventh,  with  the  ware.  He  then 
discontinued  the  making  of  porcelain,  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  importing  china  from  Europe.     In  the  latter 

Thompson,  Robert  Coleman  Hemphill,  and  William  M.  Muzzey  were  appointed  Com- 
missioners. 

"Sec.  5.  The  said  company  in  the  name  and  style  of  the  American  Porcelain 
Company  .  .  .  shall  have  the  further  right  ...  to  rent  or  purchase,  in 
fee  simple,  the  existing  factory  and  house  adjoining,  at  the  corner  of  Schuylkill 
Sixth  and  Chestnut  streets,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  with  such  other  ground 
as  may  be  deemed  necessary,  also  to  purchase  and  hold,  as  aforesaid,  quarries  of 
feldspar,  beds  of  kaolin  and  clay  and  to  procure  every  material  used  in  the  manu- 
facturing of  Porcelain,  either  plain,  white  or  decorated  with  paintings  and  gilding, 
and  all  the  machinery,  apparatus,  tools  and  utensils  required  for  the  above  purpose, 
and  to  employ  all  such  workmen,  tradesmen,  painters,  gilders  and  other  artists  of  every 
description  that  may  be  necessary  to  carry  on  the  establishment,  either  by  sending 
to  Europe  or  otherwise  :  And  further,  in  order  to  enable  the  company  to  commence 
immediate  sales,  they  shall  have  the  right  to  purchase  the  American  Porcelain  on  hand 
at  the  above  factory,  whether  finished  or  in  an  unfinished  state." — {Pamphlet  Laws  of 
Pennsylvania,  1835,  p,  338.) 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MAN  UFA  C  TOR  Y.    1 39 


part  of  1 84 1  he  sold  out  his  entire  stock  at  his  store,  100 
Chestnut  St.,  through  Mr.  C.  C.  Mackey,  auctioneer. 
Mr.  Tucker  afterwards  engaged  in  the  cotton  business, 
and  died  in  Philadelphia  in  July,  1890. 

It.  thus  appears  that  the  manufacture  of  Tucker 
and  Hemphill  porcelain  was  discontinued  in  the  year 
1838,  after  extending  over  a  period  of  about  thirteen 
years. 

Kaolin  for  the  earlier  Tucker  factory  was  obtained 
from  the  land  of  Israel  Hoopes,  in  New  Garden  township, 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  now  occupied  by  Graham  Spencer. 
Feldspar  was  quarried  from  a  large  deposit  on  property 
owned  by  Alexander  Dixon,  near  Christiana  Hundred, 
Newcastle  County,  Delaware,  about  six  miles  from  Wil- 
mington, placed  in  barrels,  hauled  to  the  latter  place,  and 
loaded  on  vessels  for  shipment  to  Philadelphia.  Blue 
clay,  or  fire-clay,  was  brought  from  John  Flood's  farm, 
four  miles  from  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.,  which  property  came 
into  possession  of  the  heirs  of  W.  E.  Tucker  at  his 
death. 

Mrs.  Moses  Johnson,  of  Berlin,  Md.,  a  great  niece  of 
Alexander  Dixon,  owns  some  of  the  earlier  pieces  made 
by  Mr.  Tucker,  which  were  sent  to  her  grandmother,  as 
samples  of  the  ware,  about  1825  ;  and  Wilton  Agnew,  of 
Kennet  Square,  Pa.,  a  nephew  of  Mr.  Dixon,  has  in  his 
possession  two  saucers,  the  remains  of  a  set  which  was 
made  for  his  mother  about  the  same  time,  of  spar  taken 
from  the  Dixon  quarry.  These  examples  are  all  embel- 
lished with  sepia  landscapes. 

Joseph  S.  Ouarll,  of  Toughkenamon,  Pa.,  is  the  pos- 


140 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 


sessor  of  two  handsome  pitchers,  with  floral  paintings, 
made  from  kaolin  which  he  helped  to  haul  from  New 
Garden  to  Wilmington  in  1828,  for  the  Tucker  and 
Hulme  factory.  These  are  marked  on  the  bottom,  in 
red,  "Tucker  &  Hulme,  China  Manufacturers,  Philadel- 
phia, 1828,"  and  Esther  H.  West,  of  Avondale,  near  by, 
has  a  third  piece,  similarly  signed  and  dated. 

The  feldspar  quarries  of  Tucker  and  Hemphill  were 
situated,  in  1832,  on  Jacob  Way's  farm,  directly  opposite 
the  Alexander  Dixon  quarries  in  Delaware,  and  in  1837, 
Judge  Hemphill  procured  kaolin  from  the  land  of  John 
Pennington,  West  Grove,  Pa. 

The  first  productions  of  the  W.  E.  Tucker  period  are 
now  scarce.  The  only  attempts  at  ornamentation  were 
crude  and  inartistic.  Simple  landscapes,  butterflies  and 
the  like  were  painted  roughly,  always  over  the  glaze,  in 
sepia  or  brown  monochrome.  The  former  were  all  of  the 
same  general  character, — a  house,  with  lake  in  the  fore- 
ground and  mountains  in  the  distance,  produced  by  a  few 
sweeps  of  the  brush, — but  no  two  exactly  alike  in  details. 
The  decoration  was  always  done  by  hand  ;  the  printing 
or  transfer  process  does  not  seem  to  have  been  employed 
at  any  time  in  the  history  of  the  works.  A  sugar-bowl 
and  coffee-pot,  with  large  butterflies  rudely  painted  in 
brown,  are  the  property  of  Joseph  S.  Quarll,  and  are 
characteristic  examples  of  this  period.  Occasionally 
historic  buildings  were  represented,  as  in  a  small  plate  in 
the  possession  of  Mrs.  Annie  C.  Tyndale,  of  Media,  Pa., 
who  received  it  from  Mr.  Horace  J.  Smith,  of  Phila- 
delphia. This  contains  a  painting  of  William  Penn's 
cottage  in  monochrome. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFA  C  TOR  V.  141 


During  the  Tucker  and  Hulme  period,  as  has  already 
been  shown,  there  was  a  decided  improvement  in  decora- 
tion. In  addition  to  the  pieces  already  mentioned,  Mrs. 
Francis  D.  Wetherill,  of  Philadelphia,  owns  two  pairs  of 
pitchers  made  in  1828,  one  being  marked  in  gold  with 
the  initials  of  her  grandfather,  Mr.  John  Price  Wetherill, 
and  the  other  pair  with  those  of  her  great-uncle,  Mr. 
Samuel  P.  Wetherill,  the  latter  being  dated.  These  were 
all  made  at  the  same  time  and  are  ornamented  on  both 
sides  with  bunches  of  tulips,  roses,  etc.,  in  natural  colors. 
In  my  own  possession  are  a  teacup 
and  saucer  of  fine,  smooth  paste 
and  graceful  form,  embellished  with 
gold  fern  work,  and  a  small  pitcher 
decorated  in  colors.  In  the  Penn- 
sylvania Museum  at  Fairmount 
Park,  Philadelphia,  may  also  be 
seen  another  specimen,  presented 
by  Mr.  Charles  Henry  Hart,  which 
is  somewhat  thicker  and  heavier 
than  the  others  described  above, 
and  decorated  only  with  gold  bands  and  the  letters  C.  B. 
This  piece  was  made  for  Mr.  Charles  Burd  and  is  marked 
on  the  bottom,  in  red,  beneath  the  glaze,  "  Tucker  & 
Hulme,  Philadelphia,  1828." 

A  complete  tea  service  belonging  to  Mrs.  William 
Mcllvaine,  of  Reading,  Pa.,  procured  from  the  factory  in 
1834  or  '35,  is  decorated  with  sepia  landscapes  and  gold 
bands,  and  conclusively  shows  that  the  monochrome  style 
was  still  employed  to  some  extent  after  Judge  Hemphill 
took  control. 


60. — Small  Covered  Flower- 
Vase,  Sepia  Landscape. 
Mrs.  R.  C.  Hemphill. 


142 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Mrs. 


We  have  no 
means  of  identi- 
fying the  ware 
produced  during 
the  Tucker  and 
Hemphill  era, 
because  the  part- 
nership was  of 
such  brief  dura- 
tion and  none 
of  the  pieces  ap- 
pear to  have 
been  marked. 
Of  the  Hemphill 
period,  however, 
numerous  exam- 
ples are  in  existence.  Perhaps  some  of  the  finest  are 
owned  by  Mrs.  Robert  Coleman  Hemphill,  of  West 
Chester,  Pa.,  a  daughter-in-law  of  Judge  Hemphill,  which 

were  made  expressly  for  the 
family  by  the  best  workmen 
in  the  factory.  A  small  flower- 
vase,  painted  in  colors,  shows 
the  best  work  produced.  A 
cylindrical  flower-pot,  with 
wreath  of  flowers  encircling 
the  circumference  ;  a  toilet-set, 
decorated  in  the  same  elab- 
orate manner  and  heavily 
62. — Hemphill  Vase.      Collection  . 

of  Hon.  James  t.  Mitchell.       gilded  ;  a  large  water-pitcher, 


61. — Water-Pitcher,  Df.corated  in  Relief. 
Robert  Coleman  Hemphill. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  143 


the  lower  half  with  raised  ornamentation  in  white, 
consisting  of  horses  and  dogs,  the  upper  portion  dec- 
orated with  a  band  of  artistically  painted  flowers  and 
gold  tracery,  are  a  few  of  the  pieces  which  remain  of  a 
large  collection.  The  relief  design  on  the  latter  bears  a 
remarkable  resemblance  to 
that  which  occurs  on  an 
old  English  parian  pitcher 
in  the  Trumbull-Prime  col- 
lection at  Princeton.  The 
chef-d'oeuvre  of  the  series, 
however,  is  a  cylindrical 
night  lamp,  of  thin,  trans- 
parent porcelain,  exqui- 
sitely decorated  with  a 
continuous  rural  scene  in 
bright  colors,  extending 
around  the  centre  (see 
111.  70). 

Hon.  James  T.  Mitch- 
ell, of  the  Supreme  Court 
of    Pennsylvania,    is  the 

Owner    of    a    flaring    vase,   63.— Hemphill  Vase,  with  Painting  of 
1        1  •   1  i  •  1  a  Shipwreck. 

six  inches  nigh,  on  which 

is  painted  a  group  of  fruits  and  flowers  and  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  in  gold,  "  E.  Tyndale,  1833,"  having  been  made 
for  his  mother  at  the  Hemphill  factory  and  presented  to 
her  in  that  year. 

A  pair  of  amphora-shaped  vases  in  the  possession  of 
Mrs.  Amanda  Spiegel,  of  Philadelphia,  which  were  pre- 


144 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELAIN. 


sented  to  her  father-in-law,  Mr.  Isaac  Spiegel,  when  in 
the  employ  of  Judge  Hemphill,  are  copies  of  an  old 
Sevres  form  and  measure  about  a  foot  in  height,  being  in 
two  parts.  They  are  of  a  good  semi-transparent  body, 
decorated  with  much  goldwork  and  marine  views  depict- 
ing shipwrecks.  The  painting  is  excellently  executed, 
evidently  by  a  French  artist  (111.  63).  . 

Mr.  William  S.  Negus,  of  Bound  Brook,  N.  J.,  has  a 


64. — Hemphill  Porcelain  Table-ware.   Collection  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Negus. 


table  service  which  was  made  by  Judge  Hemphill  about 
1834.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  bands  of  pink  roses  and 
heavy  goldwork,  the  interior  of  the  cups  being  solidly 
gilded  half-way  to  the  bottom. 

A  christening-bowl,  "  Presented  to  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  West  Chester,  Chester  County  (Pa.),  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1834,  by  Joseph  Hemphill  of  Philadelphia,"  is  a 
fine  example  of  the  ware  made  at  that  time.    It  measures 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  145 


nine  and  one  half  inches  across  and  is  decorated  with 
heavy  gold  bands  at  the  top  and  bottom,  solidly  gilded 
handles,  and  gold  wreath  with  blue  forget-me-nots,  in 
which  is  inclosed  the  above  inscription,  also  in  gold. 

In  the  family  of  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Tucker,  of 
Philadelphia,  some  of  the  best  pieces  of  the  later  produc- 
tions of  this  factory  are  preserved.  These  include  two 
pairs  of  cologne  bottles  (see  111.  69),  of  different  size 
and  design,  made  after  Chinese  patterns,  elaborately 
ornamented  with  goldwork  applied  to  relief  designs,  and 
the  date  1837  ;  a  vase  with  painting  of  the  factory  at 


65. — Christening-Bowl.    Mrs.  Thomas  W.  Marshall. 

Seventeenth  and  Chestnut  streets,  and  a  pitcher  painted 
with  flowers  and  birds,  after  nature,  the  mate  of  which  is 
owned  by  Mrs.  General  Hector  Tyndale  of  the  same  city. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  finest  examples  ever  made  by  Mr. 
Tucker  is  the  large  vase,  owned  by  his  widow,  which  is 
over  two  feet  in  height  and  embellished  with  a  wreath  of 
richly  painted  flowers  and  gold  and  salmon-colored  bands. 
The  plinth  is  solidly  gilded,  as  are  the  handles,  which  are 
in  the  form  of  eagles'  heads,  with  wings  meeting  above. 
The  manner  in  which  Mr.  Tucker  came  into  possession 

of  this  valuable    piece  is  interesting.     Walking  down 

10 


1 46  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CELA  IN. 


Second  Street  one  day  he  happened  to  see  it  perched 
on  a  shelf  in  the  top  of  a  window  in  a  second-hand  shop, 
and  immediately  recognizing  it  as  one  which  he  had 
himself  made,  years  before,  he  purchased  it  and  took  it 
home. 


66. — Tucker  &  Hemphill's  China  Manufactory,  Philadelphia,  i832-'38.  From 

a  Vase  Owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Tucker. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  patterns  produced  by 
the  old  Philadelphia  China  Factory  was  the  classical 
pitcher  with  circular  body,  arched  handle,  and  corrugated 
band  at  base.    This  form  has  become  the  most  familiar 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY. 


H7 


to  the  public  because  it  was  a  favorite  with  the  manufac- 
turers and  seems  to  have  been  peculiar  to  this  factory.  It 
was  known  as  the 
"  vase-shaped  "  pat- 
tern. Another  rather 
common  form  was 
the  cylindrical  vase 
with  flaring  mouth, 
a  reproduction  of  an 
old  French  form.  It 
is  not  generally 
known  that  the 
Tucker  and  Hemp- 
hill productions  in- 
cluded an  almost 
endless  variety  of 
ornamental  as  well 
as  utilitarian  forms, 
hence  some  of  the 
rarest  pieces  are  not 
recognized  by  collec- 
tors, but  are  thought 
to  be  French.  Some 
idea  may  be  obtained 
of  the  variety  of  forms 
when  it  is  known  that 
the  original  pattern 
books  (which  at  the  suggestion  of  the  writer  have  been 
presented  to  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  by  Mrs.  Thomas 
Tucker)  show,  during  the  last  six  years  of  the  factory's 


67, — Large  Porcelain  Vase,  Over-glaze  Deco- 
ration  in  Gold  and  Colors.    Owned  by 
Mrs.  Thomas  Tucker. 


1 48         PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


history,  over  140  different  standard  designs  in  table  pieces 
and  vases  alone.  Many  other  pieces,  such  as  spirit  lamps 
with  teapots,  flower  jars,  miniature  and  picture  frames, 
smelling  vials,  inkstands,  mantel  ornaments,  etc.,  were 
made  to  some  extent,  and  examples  of  these  are  still 
occasionally  met  with.  Small  porcelain  bottles  with  stop- 
pers were  made  in  three  forms, — cordate,1  shell-shaped, 

and  eared,  and  daintily  dec- 
orated in  colors,  for  holding 
smelling  salts  and  cologne. 

Other  forms  of  pitchers 
made  at  these  works  were 
called  the  "  Star,"  "  Gre- 
cian," "  Fletcher,"  and 
"Walker"  shapes.  Some 
of  the  most  characteristic 
decorations,  in  addition  to 
those  already  described, 
were  landscapes  in  black,  or 
in  brown  and  green,  tiny 

68.—-"  Vase-Shaped"  Pitcher,  Over-     Pm^    roses    scattered  over 
glaze  Decoration  in  Colors  and      t  h  e     entire     surface>  and 

Gold.    Pennsylvania  Museum. 

large  bold  roses  in  natural 
colors.  On  table  ware,  festoons  of  gold  and  minute 
bands  of  gold  flowers  ;  small  blue,  green,  and  brown 
"corn  flowers";  purple  and  green  vines;  green  peri- 
winkles  with    brown    stems ;    pink,    blue,    and  green 

1  The  plaster  mould  for  the  heart-shaped  scent  bottle  was  until  recently  in  the 
Franklin  Institute.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum, 
Philadelphia. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  149 


sprays ;  wreaths  and  bunches  of  flowers  in  which  the 
rose,  tulip,  forget-me-not,  morning-glory,  ragged-robin, 
honey-suckle, — all  in  delicate  colors, 
and  fern  leaves  and  moss  rose-buds 
in  gold.  Scalloped  cups  and  saucers, 
with  broad  vertical  bands  of  alter- 
nate pink  and  brown,  were  also 
made,  and  handles  of  sauce  boats 
and  other  utensils  were  often  moulded 
in  the  forms  of  serpents'  and  lizards' 
heads. 

The  following  price  list  of  articles 
made  at  Seventeenth  and  Chestnut 
streets,  between  1832  and  1838,  copied 
from  the  records  of  the  factory,  will 
show  what  the  public  paid  in  those  69.-Cologne Bottle, 
days  for  undecorated   pieces  of   the    *AISED  Decorations> 

J  1  Gold  Tracery.  Mrs. 

Ware  :  Thomas  Tucker. 


Pitchers  $1.00  each. 

Teapots   1.06J  " 

"    i.»S  " 

<c  u 

  1. 00 

Sugars   75  " 

"    64  " 

Coffee-pots   2.00  " 

Creams   37  J  " 

Gravy  boats   50  " 

Shell  dishes   1.00  " 

Custard  stands   3.00  " 

Square  comforts   1.00 

Round  dishes   75 

Fruit  baskets   2.00 

Stands  for  same   75 


1 50         PO TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 

High  comporteers   2.50  each. 

Cake  stands   1.00 

Salads,  octagon   2.00 

Tumblers   3.00  doz. 

Large  plates   4.50  " 

Cup  plates   1.50  " 

Plates     2.50  " 

  4.00 

Muffins   2.00  " 

Dishes   2.00  each. 

"    1.75  " 

Saucers   1.50  doz. 

  2.00 

Cake  saucers   0.25  each. 

Terrenes   3.50 

Cups   1.50  doz. 


The  pattern  books  of  the  china  factory  contain  draw- 
ings of  pieces  not  enumerated  in  the  foregoing  list,  on 
which  the  selling  prices  were  marked.  From  these  books, 
which  have  been  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal,  I  take  the 
following  : 

Cylindrical  spirit  lamps,  with  teapots  $1.60  each. 

Vase  shaped  "       "       "         "    2.50  " 

Large  pedestal  vases  (undecorated,  of  course)  1.50  " 

French  vase  (amphora-shaped)   1.50  " 

Butter  coolers   1.00  " 

Funnels   2.00  " 

Pitchers  (Fletcher's  shape)   1.50  " 

"       (Walker  shape)  third  size   37 J-  " 

(Grecian  shape)   75  " 

(Vase  shape)   1.00  " 

(Star  shape)   1.00  " 

Round  jugs,  small   50  " 


Some  of  the  wages  paid  at  the  factory  to  artists,  in 
1832,  for  decorating  pieces  were  as  follows  : 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  151 


Landscapes  (in  brown)   4  cts  each. 

T-jl  •  44  44 

Phoenix   2 

Bands  (gold)   8   "  doz. 

Best  groups  (colored)   i8f  "  each. 

Common  groups   I2|  " 

Fruit  baskets   i8i  " 


4 

44  4( 


Mantels,1  richly  ornamented.   25 

Cyphers,  from  one  to  four  :   2 

Prices  for  burnishing,  same  date  : 

$10  Pitchers   15  cts. 

Vases,  full  gilt   15  cts. 

The  wages  paid  for  making,  turning,  finishing,  etc., 
were  as  follows : 

Mantel  ornaments,  large  size   8  cts.  each. 

second  size   6   "  " 

44  44 


Large  size  coffee-pots   20 

Oyster  dishes,  large  size   25 

Slop  bowls   4 

Moulded  cups     1 


44  44 
44  4  4 

44  44 


saucers   1  " 

44  44 

11  4  4  4  4        i  1    r  ,   1  1   4  4  4  4 


Extra  large  size  dinner  plates   3 

breakfast  plates   2 

Tea  plates   1    ct.  " 

Cup  plates   1   ct.  " 

For  Moulding  : 

Teapots   12J  cts. 

Pitchers  (two  quarts)   12}  " 

Gravy  boats   ....  12}  " 

Fruit  baskets   20  " 

John  Basten,  from  England,  was  foreman  of  the 
factory  for  many  years.  Mr.  George  Morgan,  who  is  still 
living  and  now  in  the  employ  of  the  S.  S.  White  Dental 

1  Mantel  ornaments. 


152 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Manufacturing  Company,  Philadelphia,  when  a  boy 
turned  a  wheel  for  one  of  the  throwers  in  the  old  China 
Manufactory.  His  elder  brother,  Joseph  Morgan,  was  a 
moulder  in  the  works  during  the  entire  period  of  the 
factory's  existence.  Andrew  Craig  Walker,  recently 
deceased,  was  one  of  the  best  hands  employed  in  mould- 
ing the  finer  pitchers  and  many  pieces  are  still  preserved 
with  his  mark,  a  "  W,"  scratched  under  the  glaze.  Isaac 

Spiegel  and  Jacob  Baker 
tended  the  kilns  and  superin- 
tended the  preparation  of  the 
clays,  and  it  is  said  that  the 
former  made  many  valuable 
suggestions  to  the  proprietors 
of  the  works  in  regard  to  im- 
provements in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  kilns.  Other  work- 
men in  the  factory  were  Wil- 
liam Hand,  an  Englishman, 
widely  known  among  the  craft 
on  account  of  his  diminutive 
stature,  Thomas  B.  Harned, 
Charles  Frederick  and  one 
Vivian,  a  Frenchman.  Charles  J.  Boulter  was  also  con- 
nected for  some  time  with  the  establishment  and  William 
Chamberlain,  a  Philadelphian,  was  employed  as  one  of 
the  decorators.  It  is  difficult,  at  this  late  day,  to  procure 
information  relative  to  many  of  those  connected  with  the 
establishment,  as  nearly  all  have  passed  away.  The  pri- 
vate marks  of  some  of  the  moulders  and  turners  are  given 


70. — Night-Lamp  Decorated  with 
Rural  Scene  in  Colors.  Mrs. 
R.  C.  Hemphill. 


AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY.  153 


in  our  chapter  on  American  Marks  and  Monograms, 
but  other  initials  are  frequently  met  with  on  pieces  of 
the  Tucker  and  Hemphill  ware,  which  cannot  now  be 
identified. 

It  is  impossible  to  set  down  any  rules  by  which  this 
ware  can  always  be  known.  There  are  certain  peculi- 
arities of  form  and  decoration  which  are  easily  recognized 
and  some  pieces  may  be  identified  by  the  private  marks 
upon  them.  Many,  however,  which  are  not  marked,  can 
with  difficulty  be  distinguished  from  French  productions, 
even  by  the  connoisseur. 

Just  why  this  venture  should  not  have  proved  more  of 
a  financial  success,  we  are  unable  to  understand  at  this 
remote  period,  though  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  high 
cost  of  foreign  skilled  labor  and  the  expensive  gilding 
which  was  used  so  lavishly  were,  doubtless,  important 
factors  in  the  heavy  losses  which  the  promoters  of  the 
undertaking  sustained.  The  pieces  yet  in  existence  are 
generally  carefully  preserved  as  heirlooms  in  the  families 
of  those  who  procured  them  from  the  manufacturers,  and 
the  few  examples  which,  from  time  to  time,  find  their  way 
into  the  market  are  eagerly  purchased  by  collectors,  both 
on  account  of  their  comparative  rarity  and  because  they 
possess  qualities  which  have  not  been  surpassed  by  the 
best  of  imported  or  domestic  productions. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  POTTERY  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858. 


A STONEWARE  pottery  was  established  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  in  1827  by  Mr.  Perine,  who  was  after- 
wards joined  by  his  son,  Mr.  T.  P.  Perine.  At  the 
death  of  the  senior  partner,  the  latter  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. The  style  is  at  present  M.  Perine  &  Sons.  They 
manufacture  stoneware  in  the  usual  lines  of  useful 
articles,  Rockingham,  hand-  and  machine-made  flower- 
pots, terra-cotta  drain  pipe  and  fire-clay  chimney  pipe. 
They  make  a  specialty  of  fancy  flower-pots  and  stands 
and  hanging-baskets,  in  unique  designs.  They  received 
the  Centennial  medal  for  superiority  of  goods  exhibited 
in  1876.  The  trade  of  this  house  is  mainly  wholesale 
and  extends  throughout  the  Southern  as  well  as  the 
Northern  States. 

In  1 83 1  Messrs  Horner  &  Shirley  were  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  flint  stoneware  in  New  Brunswick, 
N.  J.,  in  which  year  they  exhibited  some  of  their  produc- 
tions at  the  Franklin  Institute,  Philadelphia. 

As  early  as  1832,  or  thereabout,  plain  fire-brick  and 
tile  were  made  by  the  American  China  Factory  in  Phila- 

154 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  155 


delphia,  then  operated  by  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Hemphill. 
They  advertised  these  products  as  being  "  of  a  superior 
quality,  manufactured  in  part  from  the  materials  of  which 
the  china  is  composed.  These  have  been  proved,  by 
competent  judges,  to  be  fully  equal  to  the  best  Stour- 
bridge brick,"  which  have  been  celebrated  for  their  excel- 
lence for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half.  The  fire-clays  of 
the  Stourbridge  district  have  been  used  for  upward  of 
three  hundred  years  by  British  manufacturers. 

Isaac  Spiegel,  a  workman  at  the  old  Philadelphia  China 
Factory  of  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Hemphill,  started  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  in  Kensington,  Philadelphia,  about  the 
year  1837.  He  made  Rockingham,  black  and  red  ware 
of  good  quality,  some  in  ornamental  shapes,  such  as 
miniature  barrels,  card-baskets,  and  Rockingham  figures. 
Some  of  the  machinery  was  moved  to  his  pottery  from 
the  Hemphill  factory  on  the  closing  of  the  latter,  and 
he  secured  many  of  the  moulds  which  had  been  used 
for  making  ornamental  porcelain  pieces.  In  1855  Mr. 
Spiegel  retired  from  active  business,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Isaac,  who  carried  on  the  works  until  1879. 
He  made  fire-brick  and  tiles  in  1858,  and  later  produced 
mantel  ornaments  in  Rockingham,  such  as  figures  of  lions 
and  dogs.  In  1880  John  Spiegel,  a  brother  of  the  latter, 
resumed  the  business,  and  a  few  years  after  made  Barbo- 
tine  ware,  biscuit  decorated  with  floral  designs  moulded 
separately  and  attached  to  the  surface  of  vases.  He  also 
made  vases  and  plaques  in  biscuit  for  decorators,  but  dis- 
continued this  branch  some  years  ago.  At  present  he  is 
engaged  in  burning  magnesia  for  the  drug  trade. 


156 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


THE  OHIO  VALLEY. 

Mr.  John  Hancock  came  to  America  from  England  in 
1828  and  commenced  the  erection  of  a  pottery  at  South 
Amboy,  N.  J.  In  the  following  year  he  sent  over  for  his 
wife  and  son  Frederick,  who  brought  with  them  two 
turners,  one  from  Minton's  named  Bernard  Houston,  and 
one  thrower,  Charles  Harrison.  On  the  arrival  of  these 
workmen  Mr.  Hancock  had  his  pottery  finished  and  com- 
menced at  once  the  manufacture  of  yellow  ware.  Mr. 
John  Hancock  was  a  potter  of  large  and  varied  experience, 
having  served  an  apprenticeship  at  Etruria  with  Josiah 
Wedgwood.  According  to  his  son,  Mr.  Frederick  Han- 
cock, who  is  still  living  in  Bennington,  Vt.,  at  an  advanced 
age,  he  was  at  one  time  manager  for  Mr.  James  Clews  at 
Cobridge,  England,  and  made  the  colors  used  in  decorat- 
ing the  wares  at  that  factory.  In  1821  he  left  Clews  and 
went  with  Mr.  Lewis  Weston  Dillwyn,  at  the  Cambrian 
Potteries,  Swansea,  Wales. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Hancock,  with  his  son,  went  to  Louisville, 
Ky.,  and  started  a  stoneware  pottery  there.  In  1841  the 
elder  Hancock  went  to  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  yellow  and  Rockingham 
wares,  in  the  building  called  the  Mansion  House,  in  com- 
pany with  Messrs.  James  Salt  and  Frederick  Mear.  Mr. 
Hancock  died  in  East  Liverpool  in  1842. 

Mr.  Frederick  Hancock,  who  was  born  in  181 7,  came 
to  the  United  States  from  Hanley,  Staffordshire,  in  the 
fall  of  1829,  and  learned  the  stoneware  trade  with  Mr. 
Israel  Seymour  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  In  1839  he  went  to  Ben- 
nington, Vt.,  and  worked  in  the  stoneware   pottery  of 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  157 


Messrs.  Norton  &  Fenton  for  a  short  time.  In  1840,  as 
we  have  seen,  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Louisville. 
In  the  following  year  he  returned  to  Bennington,  where, 
in  the  spring  of  185 1,  he  worked  in  the  United  States 
Pottery.  He  next  went  to  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  1858, 
and  established  another  pottery  which  he  operated 
until  1877,  when  he  sold  his  interest  and  returned  to 
Bennington. 

The  Lewis  Pottery  Company  was  incorporated  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  in  the  year  1829,  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing queensware  and  china,  the  incorporators  being  Robert 
Ormsby,  James  McG.  Cuddy,  Jacob  Lewis,  Edmund  T. 
Bainbridge,  and  John  J.  Jacob.  Messrs.  Vodrey  &  Frost, 
who  had  been  in  business  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  for  about 
two  years,  were  induced  by  these  parties  to  move  their 
plant  to  Louisville  in  that  year,  and  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  fair  grade  of  cream-colored  ware.  Mr.  Frost 
retired  in  two  or  three  years,  and  the  business  was  con- 
tinued by  Messrs.  Vodrey  and  Lewis  until  about  1836, 
when  the  firm  was  dissolved.  The  dissolution  was  oc- 
casioned by  the  advent  of  a  prominent  English  potter, 
Mr.  James  Clews,  who,  being  a  man  of  fine  presence  and 
a  fluent  talker,  so  impressed  some  of  the  capitalists  of 
Louisville  that  he  succeeded  in  forming  a  company  with 
an  ample  capital  for  building  and  operating  a  new  pottery 
at  Troy,  Indiana. 

POTTERY   AT  TROY,  INDIANA. 

Mr.  James  Clews  operated  the  extensive  potteries  at 
Cobridge,  England,  from  about  1820  to  1829,  which  had 


i58  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


been  worked  since  1808  by  Messrs.  Bucknall  &  Steven- 
son, and  afterwards  by  Mr.  A.  Stevenson.  He  was  also 
proprietor  of  other  works  lying  between  Cobridge  and 
Burslem,  and  manufactured  extensively  white-ware  table 
services  for  the  American  market.  Many  of  his  now 
highly  prized  pieces  were  decorated  with  dark-blue  trans- 
fer prints  of  American  views,  examples  still  being  common 
in  the  cabinets  of  American  collectors.  Among  the  most 
familiar  of  these  are  views  on  the  Hudson  River,  the 
Erie  Canal,  the  "  States  "  plate,  of  which  I  have  seen 
nine  varieties,  and  services  embellished  with  a  representa- 
tion of  the  "  Landing  of  Gen.  Lafayette  at  Castle  Garden, 
New  York,  16  August,  1824."  Perhaps  no  English  potter 
was  better  known  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  through 
his  wares  than  Mr.  Clews.  The  deep,  rich  coloring  of  his 
under-glaze  printing  was  not  surpassed  by  any  other  man- 
ufacturer of  that  day,  and  the  mark,  "  Clews  Warranted 
Staffordshire,"  impressed  in  a  circle  around  a  crown, 
made  his  name  a  household  word  throughout  the  States. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  Mr.  James  Clews,  after 
the  closing  of  his  English  works  in  1829,  came  to  America 
and  took  charge  of  a  similar  manufactory  in  the  United 
States,  yet  such  was  the  case,  and  this  fact  will  add 
greater  interest  to  his  productions,  which,  having  pre- 
ceded him  to  this  country,  we  still  preserve.  The  town 
of  Troy,  Indiana,  was  selected  for  the  location  of  the  new 
works,  on  account  of  its  favorable  situation  on  the  Ohio 
River,  which  furnished  excellent  transportation  to  the 
larger  cities  of  the  South,  East,  and  West,  and  because 
of  its  proximity  to  the  necessary  materials  for  manufac- 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  159 


turing,  which  had  been  recently  discovered,  of  excellent 
quality  and  in  great  abundance.  The  Indiana  Pottery 
Co.  was  incorporated  by  special  act  of  the  Legislature 
of  January  7,  1837,  the  incorporators  being  Reuben 
Bates,  James  Clews,  Samuel  Casseday,  William  Bell, 
James  Anderson,  Jr.,  Edmund  T.  Bainbridge,  Perly 
Chamberlin,  William  Garvin,  John  B.  Bland,  Jacob 
Lewis,  and  Willis  Ranney.  The  capital  stock  was  $100,- 
000,  with  privilege  to  increase  to  $200,000,  and  the  act 
recited  that  the  same  parties  had  previously  been  transact- 
ing business  as  the  "  Lewis  Pottery  Co."  From  the  His- 
tory of  Warrick,  Spencer,  and  Perry  Counties  (Ind.)  we 
extract  the  following  relating  to  this  enterprise  :  "  It  was 
thought  that  the  finer  ware  made  so  extensively  in  Eng- 
land could  be  made  from  the  Troy  clay.  Reuben  Bates 
gave  as  his  portion  of  the  investment  a  tract  of  about  160 
acres  of  land,  on  much  of  which  was  the  clay.  The  other 
members  of  the  company  furnished  means  to  build  the 
necessary  houses  and  buy  the  necessary  apparatus.  Sup- 
posed experienced  potters  in  considerable  numbers  were 
induced  to  come  from  England,  as  this  was  thought 
necessary  to  insure  success  to  the  new  enterprise.  . 
The  pottery  started  up  with  flattering  prospects,  but  in  a 
short  time  ....  the  impossibility  of  making  white 
ware  from  the  clay  was  demonstrated,  and  after  a  year  of 
anxiety  and  effort  on  the  part  of  the  company,  business 
was  suspended  and  the  property  was  either  transferred  to, 
or  placed  in  charge  of,  Samuel  Casseday,  of  Louisville, 
who  after  that,  from  time  to  time,  leased  it  to  the  leading 
workmen  who  had  come  from  England,  or  others." 


i6o 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  under  Mr.  Clews'  man- 
agement the  products  of  the  Troy  works  should  not  have 
proved  of  a  higher  order,  since  his  earlier  cream-colored 
ware  and  stone  china,  made  in  England,  were  of  a  su- 
perior quality.  His  failure  in  this  respect  can  only  be 
explained  by  the  incompetency  of  his  workmen  and  the 
unsuitableness  of  the  clays  which  were  used.  The  attempt 
to  make  white  ware  resulted  only  in  the  production  of  an 
inferior  grade  of  pottery  of  a  dark  cream  color,  fragments 
of  which  have  been  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Hinchco 
of  Troy,  who  unearthed  them  in  digging  around  the 
premises.  The  manufacture  of  this  was  soon  discontinued, 
and  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares  were  substituted.  I 
have  searched  in  vain  for  pieces  of  print-decorated  ware 
made  by  Mr.  Clews  in  America  from  plates  used  by  him 
in  England,  since  it  would  seem  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  he  would  bring  some  of  the  old  engravings,  which 
had  originally  been  made  for  the  American  market,  with 
him  to  his  new  field  of  labor.  The  only  style  of  decora- 
tion which  I  have  been  able  to  find  on  any  of  his  Ameri- 
can-made wares  is  a  rudely  painted  border  in  blue,  under 
the  glaze,  such  as  was  common  on  the  cheaper  grades  of 
white  ware  made  at  that  time.  Messrs.  William  Brown- 
field  &  Sons,  who  now  carry  on  the  Cobridge  works  in 
England,  inform  me  that  none  of  the  old  plates  are  now 
in  existence. 

After  considerable  money  had  been  sunk  in  the  Trey 
venture,  the  business  was  discontinued,  and  Mr.  Clews 
returned  to  England,  where  he  died,  in  1856,  at  the  age 
of  about  seventy.     He  was  a  remarkably  sagacious  and 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  161 


enterprising  manufacturer  in  his  day,  and  at  one  time 
amassed  considerable  wealth,  much  of  which  he  subse- 
quently lost.  His  son,  Mr.  Henry  Clews,  of  New  York 
City,  is  well  known  in  financial  circles. 

In  the  spring  of  1839,  tne  company  induced  Mr. 
Jabez  Vodrey  to  move  to  Troy  and  take  charge  of  the 
pottery.  With  what  hands  he  could  procure  in  Louis- 
ville, he  put  the  pottery  in  operation  in  March  of  that 
year,  and  continued  to  run  it  with  varying  success  until 
1846,  when,  from  lack  of  skilled  labor  and  capital,  he 
was  forced  to  abandon  it,  and  in  1847  moved  to  East 
Liverpool,  Ohio. 

In  185 1,  John  Sanders  and  Samuel  Wilson  leased  the 
Troy  works  from  Mr.  Casseday,  who  was  then  the  recog- 
nized owner  of  the  property,  and  continued  the  manu- 
facture of  yellow  and  Rockingham  goods  until  1854,  when 
the  buildings  were  burned  down  ;  but  another  pottery 
was  soon  afterwards  erected  on  the  same  site.  Mr. 
Sanders  continued  the  business  until  1863,  when  he  died. 
Mr.  Benjamin  Hinchco  then  leased  the  property  and 
operated  the  works  until  they  were  torn  down,  about 
twenty  years  ago. 

William  Ridgway,  of  Hanley,  England,  was  another 

eminent  potter  who  commenced  operations  in  this  country 

after  having  manufactured  extensively  for  the  American 

trade  for  many  years  in  England.     He  was  associated 

there  with  his  brother  John,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  & 

W.  Ridgway,  and  many  of  the  old  blue  pieces  now  so 

eagerly  sought  for  by  collectors,  with  American  views, 

were  made  at  the  Hanley  potteries.    Of  these,  the  series 
1 1 


l62 


PO  T  TER  Y  A  ND  POR  CEL  A  IN. 


entitled  "  Beauties  of  America,"  which  included  views  of 
the  Philadelphia  Library,  Staughton's  Church,  Philadel- 
phia, Capitol  at  Washington,  and  City  Hall  New  York,  were 
the  most  familiar.  William  Ridgway  afterwards  left  his 
brother  and  became  interested  in  no  less  than  six  impor- 
tant potteries  in  England.  He  continued  to  hold  the 
American  trade  by  making  extensively  china  with  light 
blue  and  black  prints  of  American  scenery.  Of  the  latter 
I  have  before  me  some  river  scenes,  such  as  views  on  the 
Hudson,  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  the  Bridge  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  the  Columbia  Bridge  on  the  Susquehanna  (Pa.), 
and  others.  Few  collectors  who  are  familiar  with  the 
Ridgway  china  are  aware  that  the  younger  brother, 
William,  contemplated  the  removal  of  his  manufactory  to 
this  country.  He  pushed  his  plans  so  far  as  to  commence 
the  erection  of  a  pottery  on  a  large  scale  in  Kentucky, 
which  for  some  reason  was  never  completed.  The  ruins 
of  the  partially  built  walls  are  still  to  be  seen  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Sandy  River,  near  the  West  Virginia 
line. 

A  family  of  German  potters,  whose  name  was  Boch, 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  porcelain  hardware  trim- 
mings on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  about  1850,  which  industry 
has  since  flourished  to  such  a  remarkable  degree  at  Green- 
point.  They  started,  at  various  times,  several  potteries 
and  were  sometime  connected  with  the  "Empire"  and 
"  Union  Porcelain  Works,"  and  two  different  factories  at 
Flushing.  William  Boch  &  Brother  exhibited  at  the 
Crystal  Palace  Exhibition  of  New  York,  in  1853,  stair 
rods  and  plates  of  decorated  porcelain,  plain  and  gilded 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  163 

porcelain  trimmings  for  doors,  shutters,  drawers,  etc. 
Noah  Boch,  a  grandson,  is  now  connected  with  the  knob 
department  of  the  Greenwood  Pottery,  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Charles  Cartlidge  had  a  china  factory  at  Greenpoint 
previous  to  the  middle  of  the  present  century.  He  had 
been  a  potter  in  England,  and  was  agent  for  the  Ridgways, 
an  English  house,  before  he  commenced  potting  himself 
in  the  United  States.  Messrs.  Charles  Cartlidge  &  Co. 
exhibited  at  the  New  York  Crystal  Palace  bone  porcelain 
tea  sets,  pitchers,  bowls,  and  fancy  ware,  also  door  knobs, 
door  plates,  etc.  A  large  curtain  knob,  of  bone  porcelain, 
decorated  with  gold,  has  been  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  W.  J. 
Stickney,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  who  procured  it  from  the  stock 
of  an  old  crockery  shop  in  that  town  which  forty  years  ago 
was  a  depository  for  American  wares.  It  is  reasonably 
certain  that  this  example  was  made  at  one  of  these  estab- 
lishments on  Long  Island,  in  all  probability  the  Cartlidge 
works.  The  body  is  of  excellent  quality,  the  glazing 
good,  and  the  gilding  evidently  the  work  of  an  experi- 
enced decorator.  The  disk  measures  four  inches  in 
diameter  and  the  stem  is  three  and  a  half  inches  in 
length.  Mr.  Cartlidge  became  a  prominent  man  in  the 
community  in  which  he  resided  and  founded  a  church 
there,  in  which,  it  is  said,  he  sometimes  preached.  At 
his  death  his  brother  William,  who  had  been  associated 
with  him,  went  to  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  where  he  died 
some  years  ago. 

Mr.  Cartlidge  employed  good  artists  to  model  and 
decorate  his  wares.  Much  of  his  porcelain  was  painted 
in  colors  and  gold  over  the  glaze.     I  have  seen  door 


164 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


plates  and  table  pieces  of  excellent  paste  with  artistically 
grouped  floral  designs  after  nature.  Among  the  best 
decorators  connected  with  the  establishment  were  Mr. 
Frank  Lockett  and  Mr.  Elijah  Tatler. 

In  addition  to  hardware  porcelain  and  table  pieces,  Mr. 
Cartlidge  produced  some  very  excellent  jewelry  cameos 
and  portrait  busts  in  biscuit  porcelain.  Of  the  latter,  heads 
of  Chief-Justice  Marshall,  Archbishop  Hughes,  Daniel 
Webster,  and  Zachary  Taylor  were  among  the  best,  and  a 
diminutive  bust  of  Henry  Clay,  made  for  a  cane  handle,  is 
a  beautiful  piece  of  modeling  and  a  striking  likeness.  In 
the  possession  of  Mrs.  Annie  C.  Tyndale,  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  Cartlidge,  are  some  finely  executed  brooch  medallions, 
consisting  of  miniature  family  portraits,  ideal  heads  and 
grotesque  faces  in  relief,  and  a  rhyton  or  drinking  cup  in 
the  form  of  a  wolf's  head.  Work  of  this  high  order 
of  merit,  however,  was  not  in  sufficient  demand  in  the 
United  States  at  that  day  to  insure  financial  success  and 
much  money  was  lost  in  the  enterprise.  The  factory  was 
closed  in  1856  and  Mr.  Cartlidge  died  in  i860. 

Mr.  J.  L.  Jensen,  who  was  at  one  time  connected  with 
the  Union  Porcelain  Works,  took  the  Greene  Street  fac- 
tory, called  the  "  Empire  Pottery,"  which  had  been  built 
some  time  previously  by  the  Bochs,  and  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  porcelain  hardware  fittings,  electrical 
supplies,  jugs,  cuspidors,  etc.,  and  is  still  successfully 
operating  it. 

The  East  Morrisania  China  Works  of  D.  Robitzek, 
on  150th  Street,  near  Third  Avenue,  New  York  City, 
formerly  made    porcelain    door    knobs  and  hardware 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  165 


trimmings.  The  present  products  are  white  granite, 
cream-colored,  and  decorated  wares. 

In  1843,  at  tne  exhibition  of  the  Franklin  Institute, 
Philadelphia,  two  porcelain  baskets,  made  by  Messrs. 
Bagaly  &  Ford,  were  shown  by  General  H.  Tyndale. 
The  judges  pronounced  them  "  a  well  finished  article  for 
American  manufacture." 

THE   UNITED   STATES   POTTERY,    BENNINGTON,  VT. 

Messrs.  Christopher  Weber  Fenton,  Henry  D.  Hall, 
and  Julius  Norton  commenced  making  yellow,  white,  and 
Rockingham  wares  at  Bennington,  Vt,  about  the  year 
1846,  in  the  north  wing  of  the  old  stoneware  shop  (which 
had  been  erected  in  1793  by  the  Norton  family),  operated 
by  Messrs.  Norton  and  Fenton.  The  new  firm  brought 
from  England  one  John  Harrison,  who  did  their  first 
modelling.  Mr.  Hall  did  not  remain  long  in  the  company 
and  after  he  and  Mr.  Norton  withdrew,  the  style  was 
changed  to  Lyman  &  Fenton,  by  the  admission  to  the 
firm  of  Mr.  Alanson  Potter  Lyman,  a  prominent  practis- 
ing attorney  of  Bennington,  and  shortly  after  to  Lyman, 
Fenton,  &  Park.  Rockingham,  yellow,  and  white  wares 
continued  to  be  made  and  some  creditable  work  in  parian 
was  turned  out. 

In  1849  Mr.  Anson  Peeler,  a  master  carpenter,  was 
engaged  to  erect  suitable  buildings  for  the  company.  The 
new  quarters  were  finished  in  this  year  and  the  factory 
became  known  as  the  United  States  Pottery.  Mr.  Fen- 
ton took  out  a  patent  about  the  same  time  for  the  color- 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


ing  of  glazes  for  pottery.  The  manufacture  of  "Patent 
Flint  Enameled  Ware  "  (which  was  a  fine  quality  of  Rock- 
ingham, somewhat  analogous  to  our  modern  so-called 
majolica)  was  added,  white  granite  ware  was  made  exten- 
sively, and  soft-paste  porcelain  was  produced  in  a  small 
way.  Artists  were  procured  from  abroad  to  decorate  the 
ware,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Theophile  Fry,  a  skillful 
painter,  who  is  believed  to  have  come  from  Belgium  or 
France.  Mr.  Daniel  Greatbach,  who  belonged  to  a  family 
of  prominent  English  artists,  went  from  the  Jersey  City 
Pottery  and  modelled  some  of  their  best  pieces.  The 
trade-mark  adopted  and  used  to  a  limited  extent  on  parian 
pieces  was  a  raised  scroll  or  ribbon  with  the  letters  U.  S. 
P.  impressed,  and  a  number  indicating  the  pattern.  This 
ware  was  decorated  with  raised  figures  in  white,  some- 
times on  a  blue  ground.  Pieces  were  also  frequently 
made  after  English  designs.  An  example  of  this  style  is 
a  graceful  parian  pitcher  belonging  to  the  writer,  which  is 
embellished  with  raised  foliage  and  human  figures  on  a 
"pitted"  dark-blue  ground.  This  is  an  enlarged  repro- 
duction of  a  syrup  jug  from  the  Dale  Hall  Works,  Eng- 
land. Pieces  with  similar  decoration  are  owned  by  Mr. 
G.  B.  Sibley,  of  Bennington.  Mr.  L.  W.  Clark,  of  the 
New  England  Pottery  Co.,  who,  when  a  young  man,  was 
connected  with  the  United  States  Pottery,  while  his 
father,  Mr.  Decius  W.  Clark,  was  superintendent  of  the 
works,  informs  me  that  the  "  pitting  "  on  the  grounds  of 
such  pieces  is  done  in  the  model  with  a  single  pointed 
tool,  only  one  indentation  being  made  at  a  stroke.  The 
pit  marks  are  made  close  together,  covering  the  parts  to 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  167 


be  colored,  which  presents  the  appearance  of  a  thimble 
surface.  A  mould  made  from  the  pitted  model,  of  course, 
carries  the  reverse  impressions,  or  points.  The  rough  or 
pointed  surface  of  the  interior  of  the  mould  is  covered 
with  a  blue  slip  by  means  of  a  camel's-hair  brush.  Then 
the  mould  is  set  up  and  white  slip  poured  in,  as  is  usual 
in  casting.    The  white  slip  attracts  the  blue  and  takes  it 


71. — Bennington  Parian.    Blue  Pitted  Ground. 


from  the  slip-painted  sides  of  the  mould.  A  group  of 
Bennington  blue  and  white  parian  is  here  figured,  con- 
sisting of  pitchers,  a  vase,  and  cane  handle  (111.  71). 
The  blue  ground  varies  in  different  pieces  from  a  light 
to  a  dark  shade,  the  raised  decorations  being  pure 
white.  The  uncolored  parians  were  generally  of  a 
grayish  white  color  and  more  refined  and  marble-like  in 


* 

1 68  PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


tone  than  those  with  blue  ground.  A  group  is  shown  in 
Illustration  72. 

Parian  pitchers  were  usually  glazed  inside,  while  many, 
particularly  the  blue  and  white,  were  finished  outside  with 
a  "  smear"  glaze,  produced  by  coating  the  interior  of  the 
seggar,  in  which  they  were  burned,  with  glaze,  which, 
under  the  fire,  vaporizes  and  imparts  to  the  ware  a  glossy 
surface.     Small  parian  and  porcelain  statuettes,  designed 


72. — White  Parian.    U.  S.  Pottery. 


for  mantel  ornaments,  were  also  made  to  some  extent. 
Toilet-sets,  pitchers,  door  plates,  escutcheons,  and  other 
pieces,  in  white  granite  and  porcelain,  were  often  decorated 
with  gold  and  colored  designs,  and  with  the  names  of 
customers  or  recipients.  The  group  of  white  granite 
ware  shown  (111.  73)  consists  of  a  cow-creamer  with  gold 
decoration,  swan  mantel  ornament  with  base  edged  with 
blue  under  the  glaze,  and  water-pitcher  with  dark  blue 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  169 


under-glaze  and  heavy  gold  decorations.  The  latter  bears 
the  date  February  28,  1858,  and  was  one  of  the  last 
pieces  made  at  this  factory.  The  large  ornamental  figure 
represents  a  girl  at  prayer.  Mr.  Charles  R.  Sanford  of 
Bennington  Centre  was  at  one  time  connected  with  the 
U.  S.  Pottery,  and  he  has  preserved  a  number  of  interest- 
ing pieces  made  there,  including  two  dogs  of  parian, 
several  pitchers,  and  a  Rockingham  figure  of  a  deer. 


73. — White  Granite  Ware.    U.  S.  Pottery. 


In  185 1,  or  the  year  following,  Mr.  Fenton  had  a 
large  monumental  piece  made,  ten  feet  in  height  (see 
Illustration  74),  in  four  sections,  the  lower,  or  base,  being 
composed  of  several  varieties  of  clay,  mixed  together  to 
produce  the  appearance  of  unpolished,  variegated  marble. 
This  represented  the  "lava  ware"  made  at  that  time. 
The  second  section  was  made  of  pottery,  covered  with 


1 70  POTTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 

colored  glaze,  and  represented  the  "  Flint  Enameled 
Ware."  Above  this  was  a  life-sized  parian  bust  of  Mr. 
Fenton,  surrounded  by  eight  Rockingham  columns,  and 
the  whole  was  surmounted  by  a  parian  figure  of  a  woman, 
represented  in  the  act  of  presenting  the  Bible  to  an 
infant.  This  work  is  said  to  have  been  designed  by  Mr. 
Fenton,  but  modelled  by  Greatbach,  and  was  placed  on 
exhibition  at  the  New  York  Crystal  Palace  in  1853.  It 
now  stands  on  the  porch  of  Mr.  Fenton's  former  residence 
in  Bennington,  a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  genius. 
I  am  informed  by  Mr.  L.  W.  Clark  that  several  dupli- 
cates of  this  monument  were  made,  as  it  was  at  first  the 
intention  of  Mr.  Fenton  to  utilize  them  as  stoves,  but  the 
idea  was  afterwards  abandoned. 

By  quoting  from  Horace  Greeley's  Art  and  Industry 
at  the  Crystal  Palace,  New  York,  we  are  enabled  to  gain 
an  excellent  idea  of  the  various  wares  produced  at  the 
Bennington  factory  at  that  time.  He  says:  "Around  this 
monument  are  displayed  table  and  scale  standards,  Cor- 
inthian capitals,  figures,  vases,  urns,  toilet-sets,  and  a 
great  variety  of  other  specimens  in  porcelain,  plain  and 
inlaid.  The  pitchers  in  porcelain  are  deserving  of  notice, 
as  a  branch  of  natural  industry ;  though  not  decorated 
beyond  a  gilt  molding,  and,  therefore,  not  attractive  as 
china,  yet  they  possess  the  first  elements  of  good  ware — 
that  is,  an  uniform  body  without  any  waving,  and  of  well- 
mixed  and  fine  materials.  .  .  .  The  superiority  of  the 
Flint  Enamel  Ware  over  the  English  consists  in  the  addi- 
tion of  silica  combined  with  kaolin,  or  clay  from  Vermont, 
which,  when  in  properly  adjusted  proportions,  produces 


74- — Rockingham  Monument.    Made  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  1851. 

171 


1 72         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

an  article  possessing  great  strength,  and  is  perfectly 
fireproof.  Telegraph  insulators  in  white  flint  are  on  ex- 
hibition ;  this  material  being  one  of  the  best  electric  non- 
conductors that  can  be  found.  Various  forms  of  insula- 
tors are  in  the  collection.  This  ware  has  been  employed 
on  the  telegraphs  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  Among 
these  specimens  is  a  patented  form,  recommended  by  Mr. 
Batchelder,  which  has  a  shoulder  with  a  re-entering  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees  ;  this  angle  causes  the  wind  and  rain 
to  pass  downward,  and  prevents  the  inside  of  the  insulator 
from  being  wet.  This  enamel  ware  comprises  a  variety 
of  assorted  articles,  candlesticks,  pitchers,  spittoons,  pic- 
ture-frames, tea-pots,  etc.  This  ware  has  become  a  favorite 
article  in  New  England,  and  possesses  much  merit  as 
cottage  furniture.  The  lava  ware  is  a  combination  of 
clays  from  Vermont,  New  Jersey,  Carolina,  etc.  ;  com- 
posed of  silica  and  feldspar,  intermixed  with  the  oxydes 
of  iron,  manganese  and  cobalt.  It  is  the  strongest  ware 
made  from  pottery  materials  ;  the  glaze  upon  this  lava 
ware  and  upon  the  flint  ware  is  chiefly  flint  and  feldspar, 
and  has,  therefore,  to  be  subjected  to  such  an  intense 
heat  to  fuse  it,  as  would  destroy  the  glaze  upon  common 
crockery.  The  colors  upon  the  flint  ware  are  produced 
by  different  metallic  oxydes  applied  on  the  glaze,  which 
latter  serves  as  a  medium  to  float  them  about  upon  the 
surface,  while  in  a  state  of  fusion,  thus  producing  the 
variegated  tints. 

"  The  Parian  ware  of  this  Company  is  remarkably 
fine,  especially  in  the  form  of  pitchers.  They  are  light 
in  material,  of  graceful  outline,  and  of  two  tints — one 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  173 


fawn-colored,  from  the  presence  of  a  little  oxyde  of  iron, 
and  the  other  white,  from  its  absence.  To  us  the  former 
appears  the  more  pleasing  to  the  eye.  These  are  made 
of  the  flint  from  Vermont  and  Massachusetts,  the  feldspar 
from  New  Hampshire,  and  the  china  clays  from  Vermont 
and  South  Carolina.  This  Company  has  the  credit  of 
first  producing  Parian  ware  on  this  continent." 

Some  of  the  specimens  of  the  above  described  exhibit 
are  figured  in  Silliman  and  Goodrich's  New  York  Exhi- 
bition of  1853,  published  by  George  P.  Putnam.  Here 
may  be  seen  illustrations  of  examples  of  flint  enamelled 
and  parian  pitchers  and  a  water-cooler  made  by  the 
United  States  Pottery  Company.  Another  design  peculiar 
to  the  Bennington  factory  was  a  large  water-pitcher  in- 
tended to  represent  a  waterfall,  with  rocks  in  front  and 
water  overflowing  the  mouth  and  falling  in  volumes  down 
the  sides,  in  relief. 

In  1853  the  works  were  enlarged  and  six  kilns  of  im- 
proved construction  were  erected.  The  main  building  of 
the  new  plant  was  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  ;  water 
power  was  used  for  grinding  and  preparing  the  materials, 
and  one  hundred  hands  were  employed  in  the  various 
branches  of  the  business.  At  this  time  the  selling  head- 
quarters of  the  establishment  were  in  Boston.  Mr.  G.  B. 
Sibley  and  Dr.  S.  R.  Wilcox,  of  Bennington,  both  of 
whom  learned  the  "  presser's  "  trade  at  the  United  States 
Pottery,  have  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  a  choice  series 
of  pieces  made  there,  a  number  of  which  are  represented 
in  these  illustrations.  Examples  of  flint  enamelled  ware, 
with  mottled  or  variegated  glaze,  include  a  picture  frame, 


i74 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


lion,  hot-water  bottle  in  form  of  a  book,  candlestick,  and 
goblet  vase.  The  stamp  used  occasionally  on  this  ware 
was  "  Lyman,  Fenton  &  Co.,  Fenton's  Enamel,  Patented 
1849,  Bennington,"  arranged  in  a  large  ellipse.  A  curious 
old  Toby  jug,  of  flint  enamelled  ware,  with  handle  in 
form  of  a  human  leg  and  foot,  has  been  deposited  in  the 
collection  of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art  by  Miss 
Hannah  A.  Zell. 


75. — Flint  Enamelled  Ware,  Bennington  Factory. 


In  the  Trumbull-Prime  collection,  now  on  exhibition 
at  Princeton  College,  may  be  seen  a  number  of  Benning- 
ton pieces,  including  two  lions  in  flint  enamelled  glaze,  a 
reclining  cow,  book  flask,  and  pair  of  candlesticks  in 
Rockingham,  and  a  flattened  parian  vase,  of  old  French 
or  German  form,  with  blue  pitted  ground,  and  white 
modelled  bunches  of  grapes  in  high  relief  and  handles 
formed  of  series  of  grape  leaves. 

"  Scrodled  "  ware  was  made  to  some  extent  at  the 
United  States  Pottery,  being  what  Mr.  Greeley  calls 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  175 


"  lava  ware,"  as  shown  in  the  Fenton  monument.  This 
was  produced  by  combining  different  colored  bodies, 
mixed  with  layers  of  white  clay  by  partial  "wedging." 
A  bowl  and  pitcher  of  this  ware,  with  impressed  mark, 
"  United  States  Pottery  Co.,  Bennington,  Vt,"  in  an 
ellipse,  is  owned  by  Rev.  F.  E.  Snow,  of  Guilford,  Conn. 

Captain  Enoch  Wood,  of  South  Norwalk,  Conn., 
who  was  connected  with  the  Lyman  and  Fenton  works  in 
1850,  states  that  John  Lee  and  Enoch  Barber  at  that  time 
were  mould-makers,  and  that  Enoch  and  Thomas  Moore, 
William  and  Charles  Leek,  John  Coughclough,  Stephen 
Pies,  and  Joseph  Lawton  worked  there.  Enoch  Barber 
afterwards  was  a  mould-maker  at  Kaolin,  South  Carolina. 
Most  of  these  are  now  dead. 

The  Bennington  factory  was  closed  in  1858,  and  in 
the  following  year  Mr.  Fenton  moved  to  Peoria,  111., 
where,  in  connection  with  his  former  superintendent,  Mr. 
Decius  W.  Clark,  he  established  a  pottery  for  the  manu- 
facture of  Rockingham,  yellow,  and  white  wares.  Mr. 
Fenton  was  born  in  Dorset,  Vermont,  and  learned  his 
trade  there  at  a  common  red-ware  pottery.  After  a  career 
of  over  thirty  years  as  one  of  the  foremost  practical 
potters  in  the  United  States,  he  died  at  Joliet,  111.,  on 
November  7,  1865,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine.  The  United 
States  Pottery  buildings  were  torn  down  in  1870.  Mr. 
Lyman  died  on  May  2,  1883,  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year. 

I  have  recently  seen  two  white  parian  pitchers  bear- 
ing the  mark  "  Fenton's  Works  ;  Bennington,  Vermont." 
We  have  no  knowledge  that  Mr.  Fenton  was  at  any  time 


s 


1 76         PO TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


sole  proprietor  of  the  works  which  afterward  became  the 
United  States  Pottery,  though  he  may  have  been  alone 
for  a  short  time  previous  to  his  partnership  with  Mr. 
Lyman.  It  is  possible  that  this  stamp  was  used  by  him 
in  some  of  his  previous  operations,  and  that  inadvertently, 
or  for  some  special  purpose,  it  was  placed  on  a  few  of  the 
pieces  made  during  his  connection  with  the  United  States 
Pottery.  One  of  the  pitchers  so  stamped  is  owned  by 
Mr.  G.  B.  Sibley,  and  the  other  is  now  in  the  collection 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art.  They  are  the  first 
two  shown  in  Illustration  72. 

BEACH'S  POTTERY,  PHILADELPHIA. 

Previous  to  the  middle  of  the  present  century,  Mr.  R. 
Bagnall  Beach  established  a  pottery  in  the  upper  part 

of  Philadelphia,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the 
forks  of  Germantown 
Road  and  Second 
Street.  He  came  from 
the  Wedgwood  Works, 
Etruria.  In  1846  he 
was  awarded  third  pre- 
mium for  earthenware 
at  the  Exhibition  of  the 
Franklin  Institute,  the 
judges  pronouncing  his 
ware  "a.  good  article, 
— well  finished."  He 
used  a  number  of  ex- 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  177 


cellent  pitcher  moulds,  one  of  which  was  said  to  be  a 
correct  likeness  of  Daniel  O'Connell,  the  Irish  patriot, 
who  died  in  1847.  According  to  Mr.  Joseph  Bailey,  for- 
merly connected  with  the  Beach  Pottery,  but  now  with 
the  Rookwood  Pottery,  Cincinnati,  this  portrait  piece 
came  originally  from  the  Doulton  Works,  London,  about 
1848,  and  Mr.  Beach  made  them  in  several  sizes  in  yellow 
and  Rockingham.  After  Beach  retired  from  business, 
about  185 1,  Thomas  Haig,  of  Philadelphia,  procured  some 
of  his  moulds,  among  them  that  of  the  O'Connell  pitcher, 
which  is  still  in  use  (Illustration  76). 

A  patent  for  the  inlaying  of  pearls,  gems,  etc.,  on 
china  and  baked  earthenware,  was  taken  out  by  Ralph 
B.  Beach,  of  Kensington,  Pa.,  evidently  the  same  person, 
in  1 85 1,  but  with  what  result  we  are  unable  to  state. 

OTHER  POTTERIES. 

Mr.  William  Wolfe  carried  on  a  pottery  in  Sullivan 
County,  near  Blountville  C.  H.,  Tenn.,  from  1848  to 
1856,  where  glazed  earthenware  was  made.  In  1875  he 
operated  a  pottery  in  Wise  County,  Va.,  at  East  Big 
Stone  Gap,  where  he  continued  to  manufacture  a  fine 
quality  of  hard  brown  pottery,  or  stoneware,  until  the 
year  1881.  The  ware  produced  was  mostly  plain,  but  in- 
cluded a  few  jugs,  vases,  etc.,  of  ornamental  form,  with 
incised  decoration,  entirely  devoid  of  coloring.  Speci- 
mens of  the  latter  are  now  rare,  though  I  am  informed 
that  one  or  two  pieces  are  preserved  in  the  Exposition 
building  at  Big  Stone  Gap,  and  a  few  other  examples  are 

owned  by  persons  in  that  vicinity. 

12 


178 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


George  Walker,  who  was  associated  with  William 
Billingsley,  his  father-in-law,  in  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant ceramic  enterprises  at  Worcester,  Nantgarw, 
Swansea,  and  Coalport,  came  to  America  with  his  family 
about  1835,  after  the  death  of  his  partner,  and  about 
1850  established  a  pottery  at  West  Troy,  N.  Y.,  which 
was  named  "  The  Temperance  Hill  Pottery."  Although 
in  Great  Britain  he  had  been  identified  with  the  higher 
art  movements  in  the  porcelain  factories  of  the  above- 
mentioned  places,  and  is  said  to  have  first  introduced  the 
reverberating  enamel  kiln  at  the  Worcester  works,  he 
seems  to  have  been  content  to  engage  in  the  manufacture 
of  Rockingham  ware,  in  a  small  way,  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic.  His  principal  products  were  tea-pots,  pitchers, 
and  toys,  which  he  continued  to  make  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  died  in  poverty  some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago, 
at  an  advanced  age. 

The  stoneware  pottery  now  operated  by  Messrs. 
Shepley  &  Smith,  at  West  Troy,  was  established  in  1831 
by  Mr.  Sanford  S.  Perry.  After  passing  through  several 
changes,  the  business  has  grown  to  considerable  propor- 
tions, the  staple  products  now  being  stone,  ale,  beer,  and 
ink  bottles,  snuff  jars,  and  the  usual  lines  of  Rockingham 
ware. 

Mr.  Moro  Phillips  started  a  stoneware  pottery  on  the 
James  River,  Virginia,  about  six  miles  below  Wilson's 
Landing,  in  1850,  on  a  property  which  he  had  recently 
acquired,  on  which  were  large  deposits  of  suitable  clay. 
In  1853  the  works  were  moved  to  Philadelphia,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Chestnut  and  Thirty-first  streets. 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  179 


Here  the  business  was  superintended  by  Mr.  George  L. 
Horn,  who  is  still  living  in  Philadelphia.  Chemical  stone- 
ware was  manufactured  for  a  number  of  years,  Wolfs 
jars  being  a  specialty.  The  demand  for  this  class  of 
goods  was  limited  in  those  days,  and  Mr.  Phillips  intro- 
duced the  manufacture  of  household  stoneware.  He  had 
in  his  employ  a  German,  named  Hermann  Eger,  who 
decorated  the  ware  in  blue  underglaze  designs.  He  had 
been  working  previously  in  the  Gloucester  China  Works, 
and  died  as  recently  as  the  summer  of  1 89 1 . 

In  or  about  1862  the  works  were  moved  to  Erie  and 
Trenton  avenues,  where  they  continued,  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Horn,  until  about  1867,  when  they 
were  taken  to  Camden,  N.  J.,  where  they  are  still  operated 
by  the  heirs,  for  furnishing  apparatus  used  in  the  exten- 
sive business  interests  of  the  estate. 

Mr.  James  Carr,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1844,  worked  for  the  American  Pottery  Company  of 
Jersey  City  until  1852,  when  he  went  to  South  Amboy 
and  took  the  Swan  Hill  Pottery  in  partnership  with  Mr. 
Thomas  Locker,  which  had  been  established  in  1849  f°r 
the  manufacture  of  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares.  In 
October,  1853,  he  started  a  pottery  in  New  York  City 
under  the  firm  name  of  Morrison  &  Carr,  where  table 
services  in  opaque  china,  white  granite,  and  majolica  were 
made.  Mr.  Carr  directed  his  efforts  toward  the  attain- 
ment of  higher  standards,  and  his  experiments  resulted  in 
the  production  of  some  artistic  pieces  of  bone  china  and 
parian,  excellent  both  in  design  and  execution.  For  a 
period  of  about  two  years  he  continued  the  manufacture 


1 80         POT  TER  Y  A  ND  POP  CP  LA  IN. 


of  majolica,  and  made  a  large  variety  of  ornamental 
designs  in  pitchers,  vases,  sardine  and  match-boxes,  com- 
ports and  centre  pieces,  in  addition  to  the  standard  forms 
of  useful  ware.  In  parian  he  executed  some  good  por- 
trait busts  of  eminent  men,  and  a  number  of  fancy  figures 
and  groups.  In  1888,  owing  to  the  close  competition 
of  out-of-town  manufacturers,  the  New  York  City  Pottery 
was  closed  and  the  buildings  torn  down.  He  has  recently 
built  on  the  premises  in  West  Thirteenth  Street,  several 
large  stores,  the  rentals  from  which,  he  claims,  yield  him 
better  returns  than  potting. 

The  trade  marks  used  by  this  factory  are  as  follows : 
1.  Arms  of  Great  Britain,  monogram  J.  C,  in  centre,  and 
"  Stone  China "  beneath.  2.  Heraldic  shields  of  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  joined.  3.  Parallelo- 
gram with  "  Stone  Porcelain,  J.  C."  in  centre.  4.  Clasped 
hands,  with  "J.  C."  on  either  side,  and  "  N.  Y.  C.  P." 
below. 

Mr.  Carr  is  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  pottery  industry 
in  this  country.  He  experimented  extensively  with  clays, 
fuels,  and  materials,  and  had  in  his  employ,  at  different 
times,  the  best  modellers  and  decorators  that  could  be 
procured. 

In  1853  Messrs.  Young,  Roche,  Toland  &  Co.,  and 
also  Messrs.  Wintter  &  Co.  of  New  Jersey,  were  ex- 
hibitors of  terra-cotta  wares  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Ex- 
hibition, New  York  City.  In  1858  Lorenze  Staudacher 
was  making  terra-cotta  chimney  tops,  garden  and  hanging 
vases,  and  brackets  for  churches  and  private  dwellings,  in 
Philadelphia. 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  181 


NORWALK,  CONN. 

Dr.  Isaac  H.  Hall,  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of 
Art,  New  York,  informs  me  that  he  can  remember  two 
potteries  in  Norwalk,  Conn.,  where,  forty  years  ago, 
pottery  knobs,  hardware  trimmings,  and  variegated  glazed 
coat  buttons  were  made. 

At  South  Norwalk,  Mr.  L.  D.  Wheeler  was  making 
"  mineral  knobs  "  for  doors,  furniture,  and  shutters  in 
1853.  These  were  composed  of  red,  white,  and  black 
clays,  mixed  together,  burned,  and  covered  with  ordinary 
Rockingham  glaze.  Several  years  previous  to  that  date 
he  had,  in  connection  with  Dr.  Asa  Hill,  made  pottery 
buttons,  which  were  of  a  similar  body  and  glaze.  This 
was  one  of  the  establishments  which  Dr.  Hall  remembers. 
Captain  Enoch  Wood,  who  was  a  potter  at  the  United 
States  Pottery  at  Bennington,  Vt,  went  to  Norwalk  in 
that  year  and  commenced  working  for  Mr.  Wheeler,  after- 
wards his  father-in-law,  and  three  years  later,  in  connec- 
tion with  Mr.  Wheeler's  son,  purchased  the  business  and 
carried  it  on  until  1865,  when  the  factory  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  Enoch  Wood,  the  great  potter  of  Burslem,  Staf- 
fordshire, was  a  cousin  of  Captain  Wood's  grandfather, 
and  Josiah  Wedgwood  was  related  to  the  family. 
Thomas  Wood,  of  Wood  &  Challinor,  Tunstall,  John 
Wood,  of  Stoke-upon-Trent,  a  china  painter  at  Cope- 
land's,  and  Hugh  Wood,  a  noted  engraver,  were  brothers 
of  Captain  Wood's  father. 

The  buttons  referred  to  were  made  of  plastic  clay 
and  not  by  the  "dust"  or  powdered  clay  process  which 
was  patented  by  Mr.  Richard  Prosser  in  England,  in 


182         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


1840.  At  first  they  were  made  in  plastic  moulds  and 
afterwards  were  pressed  in  dies.  Some  had  four  perfora- 
tions for  the  thread  and  others  were  furnished  with  metal 
shanks,  examples  of  the  latter  style  having  been  sent  to 
me  by  Captain  Wood.  They  are  of  two  qualities,  a 
coarse  red  body  covered  with  a  light  brown  glaze,  and  a 
fine  white  body  with  an  excellent  mottled  glaze.  The 
manufacture  of  buttons  was  discontinued  previous  to  1853. 

DECORATING  WORKS  OF   HAUGHWOUT  AND  DAILY. 

Messrs.  Haughwout  &  Daily  had  a  decorating  estab- 
lishment in  New  York  City  forty  years  ago,  at  561  and 
563  Broadway,  and  employed  about  fifty  hands  in  paint- 
ing French  china  for  the  American  market.  They 
exhibited  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition  in  that  city,  in 
1853,  a  fine  collection  of  decorated  ware,  including  pitch- 
ers with  salmon-colored  ground  and  lotus  leaves  ;  a  vase 
with  painted  portrait  of  William  Woram,  a  former  partner 
in  the  business,  presented  to  him  by  the  employes ;  hand- 
some toilet  sets,  elaborately  painted  with  designs  differing 
in  each  piece  ;  dessert  services  ;  a  centre  piece  ;  coffee 
cups,  and  plates  richly  decorated  with  landscapes,  figures, 
flowers,  etc.;  a  specimen  plate  of  a  dinner  service  manu- 
factured for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  with  the 
American  eagle  and  blue  band  in  Alhambra  style,  and  a 
service  with  crimson  ground  and  gilt  decoration  in  varied 
designs.  As  the  ware  so  decorated  was  imported,  it  is 
not  now  possible  to  identify  pieces  bearing  the  work  of 
this  firm,  unless  obtained  through  persons  who  procured 
them  direct  from  the  decorators  at  that  time  and  can 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  183 


vouch  for  their  authenticity.  The  decoration  of  European 
pieces  was  frequently  copied,  but  they  did  also  some 
creditable  original  work. 

This  firm  did  an  extensive  business,  in  ante-bellum 
days,  with  Cuba  and  the  Southern  States.  It  was  not  un- 
common for  a  wealthy  planter  to  order  a  large  service  of 
decorated  ware,  with  massive  gilding,  often  in  duplicate 
to  provide  against  breakages. 

The  partnership  was  afterwards  dissolved.  Mr.  Daily 
with  a  new  partner  opened  a  decorating  shop  on  Broad- 
way, taking  with  them  some  of  the  painters  of  the  original 
firm.  The  latter  subsequently  started  decorating  works 
on  Greene  Street,  where  Mr.  Edward  Lycett  joined  him. 
Mr.  Haughwout's  successor  removed  to  Great  Jones 
Street,  where  he  continued  the  business  for  some  time. 

WORKS  AT   GLOUCESTER,    N.  J. 

The  American  Porcelain  Manufacturing  Company  of 
Gloucester,  N.  J.,  was  incorporated  in  1854,  the  cor- 
porators being  John  C.  Drake,  Abraham  Bechtel,  George 
B.  Keller,  Peter  Weikel,  and  Martin  H.  Bechtel,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  ;  William  Reiss,  Sr.,  Gloucester,  N.  J.  ; 
Matthew  Miller,  Jr.,  George  Setley,  and  George  Bockins, 
of  Camden,  N.  J.  It  is  said  that  experiments  were  pre- 
viously carried  on  in  Philadelphia  and  Wilmington,  Del. 
The  venture  seems  to  have  been  a  financial  and  commer- 
cial failure.  Mr.  Philip  Hallworth,  who  worked  at  the 
Gloucester  factory,  informs  me  that  the  ware  would  often 
come  from  the  kiln  melted  into  a  conglomerate  mass,  and 
much  was  destroyed  in  this  manner   and  considerable 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


money  lost.  A  single  marked  example  of  this  ware  is  the 
only  one  I  have  seen.  It  is  a  cream  pitcher,  remarkably 
translucent  and  quite  thin,  roughly  moulded  with  raised 

designs  intended  to  re- 
present roses  and  other 
flowers.  This  bears  the 
mark  A.  P.  M.  Co.  im- 
pressed on  the  bottom 
(Illustration  77). 

The  Gloucester 
China  Company,  incor- 
porated in  1857,  was  a 
continuation  of  the 
former.  Jacob  Sheetz, 
Abel  Lukens,  and  John 
H.  Shultz,  of  Philadel- 
phia ;  Peleg  B.  Savery, 
of  Camden  Co.,  N.  J.,  and  Abraham  Browning,  of 
Camden,  were  created  a  body  politic  and  corporate  for 
manufacturing  and  selling  "  porcelain,  china,  chemicals, 
drugs,  and  other  articles  of  which  clay,  sand,  and  other 
earthy  substances,  form  the  basis  or  principal  ingredients." 
A  Mr.  Mclntire  was  appointed  manager  of  the  works  and 
Mr.  Scharf  superintended  the  manufacture  of  the  products. 
Mr.  Edwin  T.  Freedley,  in  his  History  of  Philadelphia  and 
Its  Manufactures,  published  in  1858,  states  that  the  com- 
pany produced  ware  "  possessing  the  qualities  of  being 
not  only  semi-transparent  but  very  strong.  The  articles  are 
such  as  are  required  in  every  household  and  the  product 
compares  favorably  with  the  European."    In  reality  the 


77. — Porcelain  Pitcher,  Raised  Decoration 
Am.  Por.  Mfg.  Co.,  Gloucester,  N.  J. 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  185 


quality  of  the  porcelain  was  good,  but  the  workmanship  and 
glazing  were  inferior.  No  attempt  at  decoration  was  made, 
all  pieces  being  sold  in  the  white,  except  such  ornamenta- 
tion in  relief  as  was  derived  from  moulds.  Although  large 
quantities  of  china  were  made  at  the  time,  the  company 
having  practically  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  in  Western 
New  Jersey  and  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  few  pieces  can 
now  be  found  that  can  be  absolutely  identified.  A  piece 
from  the  same  mould  as  the  one  last  figured,  but  unmarked, 
now  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum,  was  procured  from  Mr. 
Hallworth,  who  has  assured  me  that  it  was  made  at  the 
Gloucester  works  about  1858.  Much  trouble  was  experi- 
enced in  glazing  and  firing,  the  first  ware  placed  upon 
the  market  being  blistered  and  rough.  Mr.  Hallworth 
also  informs  me  that  experiments  were  made  at  one  time 
to  produce  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares,  but  after  some 
three  kilns  had  been  drawn  without  success,  the  attempt 
was  abandoned.  In  1858  the  company  had  an  office  at 
No.  17  North  Sixth  St.,  Philadelphia.  It  is  said  that 
large  quantities  of  imperfect  ware  were  dumped  on  the 
river  bank  at  Gloucester,  the  broken  crockery  being  de- 
posited in  such  quantities  as  to  gain  for  the  spot  the  name 
of  the  "  China  Wharf."  Some  of  the  workmen  employed 
were  William  Hand,  Philip  Hallworth,  Messrs.  Horseman, 
Lock,  Lawton,  and  Gerard.  No  other  marks  seem  to 
have  been  used  excepting  the  private  marks  of  the  work- 
men, the  letter  C  being  on  the  bottom  of  the  pitcher 
figured.  The  factory  was  closed  about  i860,  after  which, 
it  is  stated,  some  of  the  operatives  started  other  factories 
in  various  parts  of  New  Jersey. 


186         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Messrs.  Jones,  White,  &  McCurdy  were  manufacturing 
artificial  porcelain  teeth,  in  1858,  at  No.  528  Arch  St., 
Philadelphia.  They  were  then  turning  out  one  and  a 
quarter  millions  a  year,  which  were  claimed  to  be  of  a 
better  grade  than  those  produced  in  Europe.  The 
original  seat  of  manufacture  of  porcelain  teeth  in  the 
United  States  was  in  Philadelphia. 

A  porcelain  factory  was  in  operation  on  Germantown 
Road,  Philadelphia,  in  1858. 

THE  SOUTHERN  PORCELAIN  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

For  more  than  half  a  century  deposits  of  fine  porcelain 
clay  have  been  known  to  exist  in  the  hills  about  half  way 
between  the  city  of  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  the  village  of 
Aiken,  S.  C,  in  what  is  now  Aiken  County.  In  1856  Mr. 
William  H.  Farrar,  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the  United 
States  Pottery  Co.,  of  Bennington,  Vt.,  went  to  South 
Carolina  and  established  works  at  a  small  settlement  called 
Kaolin,  close  to  the  clay  banks,  after  first  having  interested 
a  number  of  wealthy  citizens  of  Augusta,  six  miles  distant, 
in  a  scheme  for  producing  fine  white  ware  and  porcelain. 
A  stock  company  was  formed,  of  which  the  Lamars,  then 
prominent  planters,  and  afterwards  distinguished  in 
national  affairs,  and  Alexander  H.  Stevens,  Esq.,  who,  a 
few  years  later,  became  Vice-President  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  were  members.  Attracted  by  the  extensive 
beds  of  fine  kaolin  in  that  vicinity,  Mr.  Farrar  thought  he 
saw  an  opportunity  of  making  a  fortune  by  erecting  works 
close  to  the  sources  of  supply.  For  many  years  the  in- 
habitants of  the  surrounding  district  had  been  using  this 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  187 


clay  for  whitewashing  their  fences  and  buildings,  but 
beyond  such  use  it  was  not  thought  to  be  of  any  particular 
value.  Mr.  Farrar  took  with  him  from  Vermont  brick 
masons,  who  constructed  the  most  approved  kilns  of  that 
day,  and  Mr.  Anson  Peeler,  a  master  carpenter,  who  had 
previously  built  the  United  States  Pottery  at  Bennington. 
Potters  were  also  procured  from  Vermont  and  other  places. 
The  works  were  operated  the  first  year  under  the  manage- 
ment of  a  newly  imported  English  potter  who,  however, 
did  not  prove  satisfactory.  His  experiments  were  unsuc- 
cessful and  much  ware  was  destroyed  in  firing.  Under  his 
administration  considerable  money  was  lost  to  the  stock- 
holders. During  the  second  year,  Mr.  Josiah  Jones,  a 
skillful  designer  and  competent  potter,  who  had  previously 
modelled  for  Charles  Cartlidge  at  Greenpoint,  assumed 
the  management,  and  succeeded  in  producing  some  very 
fair  porcelain  and  good  white  granite  and  cream-colored 
wares.  The  business  did  not  prove  a  commercial  or  finan- 
cial success,  however,  chiefly  because  Mr.  J  ones  was  limited 
to  the  use  of  the  local  clays,  as  Mr.  Farrar,  not  a  practical 
potter  himself,  could  not  divest  himself  of  the  erroneous 
idea  that  first-class  ware  could  be  made  from  the  South 
Carolina  clays  exclusively.  He  allowed  his  manager,  Mr. 
Jones,  so  little  of  other  requisite  clays  that  failure  was  in- 
evitable. In  1857,  Mr.  Farrar  arranged  with  Mr.  Decius 
W.  Clark,  of  the  Bennington  works,  to  take  the  South 
Carolina  potteries  in  hand,  which  change  took  effect  late 
in  that  year.  In  February  following,  Mr.  L.  W.  Clark, 
now  of  the  New  England  Pottery  Co.,  went  south  to 
relieve  his  father,  who  then  returned  to  Vermont,  and  the 


i88 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


son  at  once  assumed  charge  of  the  preparation  of  bodies 
and  glazes,  the  other  branches  of  the  business  continuing 
under  the  general  supervision  of  Mr.  Farrar.  During  1858, 
the  works  were  fairly  successful  in  the  production  of  white 
granite  and  cream-colored  wares,  but  at  the  close  of  that 
year  Mr.  Clark  sold  his  combinations  to  the  company,  the 
transfer  being  made  in  the  office  of  Alexander  H.  Stevens, 
and  shortly  after  returned  north. 

The  Kaolin  factory  continued,  in  a  reasonably  success- 
ful way,  making  table,  toilet,  and  a  general  line  of  white 
ware,  until  after  the  war  commenced,  when,  under  the  name 
of  the  Southern  Porcelain  Manufacturing  Company,  it  is 
said  to  have  gone  into  the  extensive  manufacture  of  porce- 
lain and  pottery  telegraph  insulators  for  the  Confederate 
Government.  Earthenware  water-pipes  were  also  made, 
to  some  extent,  for  the  general  Southern  trade,  until  the 

works  were  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1863  or  '64. 
In  i860  the  manufac- 
ture of  the  finer  grades 
of  ware  was  discon- 
tinued. 

Examples  of  the 
products  of  these 
works  are  now  ex- 
ceedingly scarce,  but 
through  the  courtesy 
of  Dr.  G.  E.  Mani- 
gault   of  Charleston, 

78. — Porcelain   Pitcher,  Made  by  the 

Southern  Porcelain  Company  about  C.    I  am  enabled  to 

1861.  Owned  by  Mrs.  Edward  Willis. 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  189 


give  the  illustration  of  a  white  porcelain  pitcher  made  here, 
which  is  decorated  with  relief  representations  of  stalks  of 
Indian  corn  (111.  78).  The  piece  is  ten  and  a  half  inches  in 
height  with  excellent  glaze,  free  from  crazing.  It  belongs 
to  Mrs.  Edward  Willis  of  Charleston,  to  whom  it  was 
presented  while  visiting  the  factory  in  1861.  Mrs.  John 
S.  Porcher,  of  Eutawville,  S.  C,  daughter  of  Bishop 
Davis  and  great-granddaughter  of  Richard  Champion, 
the  eminent  potter,  who  came  from  England  in  the  last 
century  and  settled  at  Cam- 
den, S.  C,  is  the  owner  of 
a  small  parian  syrup-jug, 
which  was  purchased  at 
these  works  in  1859.  One 
of  the  insulators,  of  brown 
stoneware,  made  here,  has 
been  sent  to  me  by  Col. 
Thos.  J.  Davies.  It  is  a 
rather  clumsy  affair,  marked 
with  an  impressed  shield 
containing  the  inscription, 
"  S.  P.  Company,  Kaolin, 
S.  C."  This  mark  is  said 
to  have  also  been  used  to 
some  extent  on  porcelain  pieces  (see  chapter  on  Marks). 

The  enterprise  was  destined  to  failure  from  the  begin- 
ning. Good  potters  could  not  be  induced  to  remain  in 
the  woods  at  a  distance  from  any  large  town  or  city. 
The  best  workmen  became  dissatisfied  with  their  sur- 
roundings, and  returned  north.    Transportation  of  wares 


79. — Parian  Jug.  Southern  Porcelain 
Co.,  Kaolin,  S.  C.  Mrs.  J.  Stoney 
Porcher. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


to  the  railroad,  one  and  a  half  miles  distant,  was  found  to 
be  expensive,  and  much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  get- 
ting the  product  to  market.  In  locating  the  works  the 
projector  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  clay  is  a  small  item  in 
the  total  freight  expenses  of  a  pottery.  It  is  said  that 
much  money  was  lost  in  the  venture,  the  amount  being 
placed  as  high  as  $150,000.  Some  of  the  ware,  however, 
was  of  excellent  quality.  Rockingham  pitchers  and  spit- 
toons of  ornate  form  were  made  in  the  earlier  days,  and 
cream-pots,  pitchers,  etc.,  in  white  ware  and  porcelain, 
with  raised  leaves  and  imitation  of  wicker  or  basket  work, 
were  made  to  some  extent  at  a  later  date.  The  pitchers 
of  this  character  were  quite  popular,  and  were  produced 
in  great  numbers. 

The  Kaolin  factory  was  probably  the  only  one  in  the 
South,  during  the  Civil  War,  which  produced  white  or 
porcelain  ware.  Some  china  was  imported  by  the  Con- 
federate Government  from  England,  however,  decorated 
to  order,  such  as  the  table  service  used  on  board  the  war- 
ship Alabama,  which  was  embellished  with  a  central 
design  consisting  of  two  crossed  cannon  behind  an 
anchor,  above  the  initials  C.  S.  N.  (Confederate  States 
Navy).  Around  this  device  is  a  circle  of  cable,  outside 
of  which  is  a  wreath,  formed  on  one  side  of  a  spray  of 
leaves  and  flowers  of  the  tobacco  plant,  and  on  the  other 
of  the  cotton  plant,  with  leaves,  flowers,  and  cotton  bolls. 
Below  the  design  is  the  motto  of  the  Alabama,  "  Aide 
Toi  et  Dieu  t'Aidera."  Each  piece  is  bordered  with  a 
blue  band.  This  service  was  made  by  the  firm  of  E.  F. 
Bodley  &  Co.,  of  Burslem,  England.     The  body  of  the 


THE  INDUSTRY  FROM  1825  TO  1858.  191 


ware  was  "  Ironstone  China."  Mrs.  Annie  Trumbull 
Slosson,  in  The  China  Hunters  Chid,  states  that  there 
were  three  sets  of  this  china,  each  of  a  different  color,  one 
of  which  was  printed  in  a  gray  tint,  for  use  at  the  officers' 
table.  Examples  of  this  service  are  owned  by  Mrs.  King 
of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  one  of  which  is  decorated  in  a  blue- 
gray  tint,  and  others  in  green,  with  the  same  finish  of 
blue  lines. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1865,  a  new  porcelain  com- 
pany was  organized,  with  Mr.  R.  B.  Bullock,  afterwards 
Governor  of  Georgia,  president.  He  prosecuted  the 
business  with  great  vigor,  but  this  second  attempt  proved 
abortive,  and  after  twelve  years  of  varying  success,  the 
pottery  was  sold  to  Messrs.  McNamee  &  Co.,  of  New 
York.  The  old  kilns  and  buildings  have  long  since  dis- 
appeared, but  the  clay  is  still  being  mined  and  shipped  in 
its  crude  state  to  the  north  and  west,  where  it  is  used  ex- 
tensively by  the  paper  trade.  There  are  at  present  four 
mines  in  active  operation  here,  that  of  Messrs.  McNamee 
&  Co.,  and  another,  worked  by  Col.  Thomas  J.  Davies, 
being  the  most  important.  The  clay  is  of  the  finest 
quality,  much  too  fine,  it  is  claimed,  for  use  alone  in  the 
manufacture  of  pottery,  but  admirably  adapted  to  the 
manufacture  of  wall  papers.  In  1891  about  20,000  casks 
of  clay  were  shipped  from  these  mines. 


CHAPTER  X. 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 

THE  history  of  East  Liverpool  is,  in  a  great  measure, 
the  history  of  the  pottery  industry  in  the  United 
States.  Mr.  James  Bennett,  the  first  to  engage 
in  the  pottery  business  there,  came  from  Newhall,  near 
Woodville,  a  pottery  district  in  Derbyshire,  England,  in 
the  year  1834,  and  found  employment  at  the  Jersey  City 
Pottery,  which,  at  that  time,  was  one  of  the  foremost  es- 
tablishments of  the  kind  in  the  United  States,  where  he 
remained  until  about  1837,  when  he  went  to  Troy,  Indi- 
ana, at  which  point  some  Louisville  (Ky.),  gentlemen  had 
recently  established  works  for  the  manufacture  of  white 
ware,  under  the  name  of  the  Indiana  Pottery  Co.  After 
remaining  there  for  about  a  year,  Mr.  Bennett  was  forced 
to  leave,  on  account  of  ill-health,  and  proceeded  up  the 
Ohio  River  with  the  double  purpose  of  improving  his 
health  and  selecting  a  more  suitable  location  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  pottery.  At  East  Liverpool  he  found 
clay  of  the  proper  quality  for  yellow  ware,  and  here,  in 
1839,  ne  built  a  small  pottery,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr. 
Anthony  Kearns,   who  furnished  the  necessary  means. 

This  was  the  pioneer  pottery  in  that  section,  which  has 

192 


i94 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


since  become  one  of  the  greatest  centres  of  the  pottery 
industry  in  the  United  States.  After  paying  Mr.  Kearns 
a  portion  of  the  profits  for  the  use  of  the  plant  for  a 
short  time,  Mr.  Bennett  leased  the  works  for  a  period  of 
five  years.  In  April  of  1841  he  sent  to  England  for  his 
brothers,  Daniel,  Edwin,  and  William,  all  practical  potters^ 
who  shortly  after  started  for  America,  reaching  East 
Liverpool  in  September  of  that  year,  when  the  four  en- 
tered into  a  co-partnership  under  the  style  of  Bennett  & 
Brothers.  In  connection  with  yellow  ware  they  immedi- 
ately commenced  the  manufacture  of  Rockingham  ware, 
the  first  to  be  made  in  the  United  States,  and  some  of 
their  patterns  which  were  originated  at  that  time,  notably 
the  octagon-shaped  spittoons,  are  still  in  demand,  after 
fifty  years  of  uninterrupted  popularity. 

For  the  next  three  years  the  business  increased  stead- 
ily, the  products  of  the  factory  being  sold  to  the  wholesale 
crockery  merchants  of  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  St.  Louis, 
Cleveland,  and  other  western  cities.  The  lack  of  proper 
facilities  for  shipping  goods,  however,  induced  the  firm  to 
look  around  for  a  more  favorable  location,  and  accordingly 
in  1844  they  decided  to  move  their  plant  to  Birmingham, 
now  a  part  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where,  at  that  period,  better 
coal  and  cheaper  transportation  to  the  eastern  as  well  as 
the  western  trade  centres  could  be  procured.  In  this 
year  they  erected  a  larger  plant  at  that  point  and  the 
business  was  resumed  with  greatly  increased  facilities. 
Samples  of  their  Rockingham  and  yellow  wares  were  ex- 
hibited at  the  American  Institute,  New  York,  and  the 

Franklin  Institute,  Philadelphia,  from  both  of  which  they 

13 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


received  medals  for  superiority  of  manufacture.  At  the 
exhibition  of  the  latter,  held  in  1846,  their  display  of 
earthenware  took  the  first  premium,  a  silver  medal,  and 
was  pronounced  by  the  judges  to  be  superior  to  the  Eng- 
lish. An  eight-sided  glazed  "  tortoise-shell "  pitcher,  with 
Druid's  head  beneath  the  lip,  one  of  the  pieces  then  ex- 
hibited is  still  preserved  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Institute. 
In  this  year  Mr.  Edwin  Bennett  withdrew  from  the  firm, 
after  having  selected  Baltimore,  Md.,  as  the  field  for  his 
future  operations,  and  here  he  erected  a  small  pottery,  the 
first  to  be  established  south  of  what  was  known  as  the 
Mason  and  Dixon  line,  for  making  the  finer  grades  of 
ware.  About  two  years  after,  he  admitted  his  brother 
William  to  partnership,  and  the  firm  became  E.  &  W. 
Bennett,  and  so  continued  until  the  spring  of  1856,  at 
which  time  the  latter  retired  from  active  business  on 
account  of  failing  health.  During  this  period  silver  and 
gold  medals  were  awarded  the  firm  by  the  Maryland  In- 
stitute for  "  superiority  of  Queensware,"  the  exhibits 
consisting  of  yellow  and  Rockingham,  sage  and  blue-col- 
ored hard-body  wares,  such  as  coffee-pots,  pitchers,  water- 
urns,  vases,  etc.  Since  1856  Mr.  Edwin  Bennett  has 
carried  on  the  business  alone.  In  1869  he  enlarged  the 
factory  and  more  than  doubled  the  output,  and  the  manu- 
facture of  white  ware  was  commenced.  Shortly  after- 
wards a  decorating  department  was  added.  Mr.  Bennett 
originated  and  first  made  the  "  Rebekah  "  teapot  in  1851, 
in  Rockingham  ware,  and  has  continued  its  manufacture 
to  this  day,  the  demand  for  it  being  regular  and  constant. 
So  popular  has  this  pattern  become  that  nearly  all  the 


196 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


81. — Sage-Green  Marine  Pitcher. 
E.  &  W.  Bennett,  1853. 


other  potteries  in  the  United  States  have  copied  it.  On 
opposite  sides  of  the  vessels  a  figure  of  a  maiden  in 

relief,  with  water  jar, 
resting  or  standing 
by  a  well,  and  be- 
neath are  the  words 
"  Rebekah  at  the 
Well."  The  design 
is  familiar  to  nearly 
every  one,  and  may 
be  seen  in  any  crock- 
ery store.  A  few 
years  ago  Mr.  Ben- 
nett devoted  some 
attention  to  the  pro- 
duction of  parian  and  Belleek  wares.  A  small  quantity 
of  the  egg-shell  china  was  made  in  1886,  of  excellent 
quality,  in  tea  sets,  but  as  its  manufacture  would  have  in- 
terfered with  the  general  business  of  the  works,  it  was 
discontinued. 

In  1887  Mr.  Bennett  produced  some  parian  plaques 
which  were  modelled  by  Mr.  James  Priestman,  an  artist 
of  ability  in  that  line. 

In  1890  Mr.  Bennett  changed  his  business  into  a  cor- 
poration, under  the  style  of  the  Edwin  Bennett  Pottery 
Co.  With  Mr.  Henry  Brunt  as  manager  they  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  high-grade  dinner,  tea,  and  toilet 
ware  in  American  porcelain.  Their  shapes  are  character- 
ized by  correct  designs  and  refined  decorations.  Espe- 
cially worthy  of  mention  are  their  underglaze  decorations 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO.  197 


in  old  blue  and  gold.  Another  specialty  is  the  manu- 
facture of  jardinieres  in  colored  glazes.  These  they  make 
in  a  variety  of  forms,  with  ornamentation  in  relief.  A 
deep  ultramarine  blue  and  an  olive-green  are  particularly 
fine,  while  the  modelling  shows  decided  originality  and 
merit. 


The  trade-mark  is  a  globe,  showing 
the  western  hemisphere,  with  a  sword 
driven  through  the  United  States. 
The  guard  of  the  sword  carries  the  ini- 
tials of  the  company,  while  underneath 
is  their  motto. 


Mr.  Edwin  Bennett  was  born  in  the  year  18 18,  and 
has  been  identified  with  the  pottery  industry  from  his 


82. — Recent  Productions  of  the  Edwin  Bennett  Pottery  Co. 


youth,  and  in  this  country  for  upwards  of  half  a  century. 
In  1890  and  1891  he  was  the  honored  president  of  the 
United  States  Potters'  Association. 

Mr.  Bennett's  display  of  historical  wares  at  the  Chicago 
Fair  was  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  American  section. 


1 98  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CP  LA  IN. 


This  included  pieces  produced  in  the  earlier  years  of  the 
pottery's  existence  such  as  a  large  Rockingham  vase  with 
cover  and  dolphin  handles  and  raised  grapevine  decora- 
tion, made  by  him  in  1853;  a  majolica  bust  of  Washington, 
by  E.  &  W.  Bennett,  1850;  a  pair  of  mottled  majolica 


83. — Mr.  Edwin  Bennett. 


vases,  two  feet  in  height,  with  raised  grapevine  designs 
and  lizard  handles,  produced  by  him  in  1856;  enormous 
octagonal  majolica  pitcher,  with  blue,  brown,  and  olive 
mottled  glazes,  1853  ;  coffee-pots,  and  other  pieces  in 
blue,  green,  and  olive  bodies. 

One  of  the  most  striking  pieces  of  his  more  recent 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


work  is  a  large  majolica  jardiniere,  three  feet  in  height, 
consisting  of  a  trefoil  basin  supported  by  three  griffins. 
This  was  designed  and  modelled  by  Mr.  Herbert  W. 
Beattie  of  Quincy,  Mass.,  and  is  produced  in  robin's-egg 
blue,  lemon,  and  other  colors. 

After  Bennett  &  Brothers  left  East  Liverpool,  in  1844, 
for  Pittsburgh,  the  old  Bennett  Pottery  was  rented  for 
several  years  by  Samuel,  Jesse,  Thomas,  and  John 
Croxall,  the  latter  being  the  only  one  now  living,  who  is 
the  senior  member  of  the  present  firm  of  John  W.  Croxall 
&  Sons,  who  are  still  making  the  same  class  of  goods 
originally  made  by  the  Bennetts, — Rockingham  and 
yellow  wares.  The  old  buildings  were  afterwards  washed 
away  by  the  encroachment  of  the  river. 

Mr.  Benjamin  Harker,  Sr.,  established  a  pottery  in 
East  Liverpool  in  1840  for  the  production  of  similar 
wares.  This  was  in  operation  for  a  number  of  years  when 
the  business  came  into  possession  of  George  S.  Harker, 
son  of  Benjamin,  and  carried  on  under  the  name  of 
George  S.  Harker  &  Co.  until  his  death,  many  years  ago, 
after  which  his  widow  and  two  sons,  William  W.  and 
Henry  N.,  continued  it  under  the  same  style  until  1890, 
in  which  year  it  was  incorporated  as  The  Harker  Pottery 
Company.  In  1879  tne  manufacture  of  Rockingham  and 
yellow  wares  was  discontinued,  and  white  granite  ware  is 
now  made  exclusively,  the  plant  having  been  greatly  en- 
larged in  recent  years.  Many  of  the  proprietors  of  other 
establishments  in  East  Liverpool  and  elsewhere  learned 
their  trade  at  this  factory.  Mr.  James  Taylor,  who  died 
a  few  years  ago  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  was  at  one  time  a 


200 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


partner  in  the  concern,  and  was  afterwards  largely  instru- 
mental in  expanding  the  industry  in  the  latter  city. 

Mr.  John  Goodwin,  who  worked  in  the  pottery  of 
James  Edwards,  Dale  Hall,  Burslem,  England,  came  to 
America  in  1842,  and  immediately  after  his  arrival  went 
into  the  employ  of  James  Bennett  &  Bros.  In  1844,  Mr. 
Goodwin  embarked  in  the  business  on  his  own  account, 
and  with  one  small  kiln  began  to  make  yellow  and  Rock- 
ingham goods,  with  eminent  success.  In  1853,  owing  to 
ill  health,  he  sold  the  business  to  Messrs.  Samuel  and 
William  Baggott,  and  lived  in  retirement  until  1863,  when 
he  erected  the  Novelty  Pottery  Works,  now  operated  by 
the  McNicol  Pottery  Company,  who  have  added  the 
manufacture  of  C.  C.  ware.  In  1870,  Mr.  Goodwin  went 
to  Trenton  and  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Trenton 
Pottery  Company,  when  the  style  was  changed  to  Taylor, 
Goodwin,  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  iron-stone  china,  C.  C. 
and  sanitary  and  plumbers'  earthenware.  Desiring  to  be 
again  with  his  old  friends  in  Ohio,  however,  Mr.  Goodwin 
sold  out  his  interest  in  1872,  and,  returning  to  East 
Liverpool,  purchased  the  Broadway  Pottery  from  Messrs. 
T.  Rigby  &  Co.,  and  immediately  began  to  improve 
the  works  with  a  view  to  adding  white  ware  to  the 
products.  The  realization  of  these  plans  was,  how- 
ever, delayed  by  Mr.  Goodwin's  death  in  1875,  but  in  the 
following  year  the  business  was  resumed  by  his  three  sons, 
and  the  new  firm,  under  the  name  of  Goodwin  Brothers, 
has  since  enlarged  the  works,  and  continues  to  manufacture 
pearl-white,  cream-colored,  and  decorated  wares  of  an  ex- 
cellent quality. 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


Messrs.  Salt  &  Mear  went  to  East  Liverpool  and 
commenced  making"  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares,  in  the 
building  called  the  Mansion  House,  in  1841. 

Messrs.  Woodward  &  Vodrey  began  business  in  the 
spring  of  1848,  and  were  burned  out  in  March,  1849. 
They  then  associated  with  them  John  S.  and  James 
Blakely  and  Richard  Booth,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Woodward,  Blakely,  &  Co.,  and  rebuilt  the  works  during 
the  summer  of  1849.  The  experienced  potter  of  the  com- 
pany was  Jabez  Vodrey,  who,  in  company  with  a  Mr. 
Frost,  came  to  this  country  in  1827  and  built  and  operated 
a  pottery  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  The  firm  of  Woodward, 
Blakely,  &  Co.  continued  to  enlarge  their  works  until  they 
had  one  of  the  largest  potteries  in  East  Liverpool,  their 
products  being  yellow  and  Rockingham  ware  of  the  finest 
quality.  Their  plant  occupied  the  ground  upon  which 
three  potteries  now  stand, — those  of  Wm.  Brunt,  Son,  & 
Co.,  George  Morley  &  Son,  and  Vodrey  &  Brother. 
The  year  1857,  however,  carried  the  firm  of  Woodward, 
Blakely,  &  Co.  down  in  the  financial  panic  which  stranded 
so  many  mercantile  houses. 

THE    KNOWLES,   TAYLOR,   &  KNOWLES  CO. 

In  1854,  the  works  now  owned  by  The  Knowles, 
Taylor,  &  Knowles  Company  were  established.  The  busi- 
ness was  started  in  a  small  way  by  Isaac  W.  Knowles  and 
Isaac  A.  Harvey,  who  made  yellow  ware  in  a  single  kiln, 
which  was  used  alternately  for  bisque  and  glost-ware.  A 
few  years  later  Rockingham  ware  was  added  to  their 
products. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


In  1870,  Mr.  Knowles,  who  had  purchased  the  interest 
of  his  former  partner,  was  joined  by  Messrs.  John  N. 
Taylor  and  Homer  S.  Knowles,  and  in  1872  they  com- 
menced the  manufacture  of  ironstone  china  or  white 
granite  ware.  Since  then  they  have  rapidly  enlarged 
their  works  to  enable  them  to  fill  the  orders  which  came 
to  them  from  every  State  in  the  Union.  At  the  present 
time  their  plant  includes  thirty-five  kilns  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  white  granite  ware  and  china  and  for  decorating, 
and  covers  ten  acres  of  ground.    Their  vitreous-translu- 


84. — Thin  China  Tete-a-Tete  Set.    K.,  T.,  &  K.  Co. 

cent  hotel  china  is  made  in  large  quantities  for  the  trade 
and  is  of  a  superior  quality.  About  seven  hundred  hands 
are  employed. 

In  1888  Messrs.  Joseph  G.  Lee  and  Willis  A.  Knowles 
were  admitted  to  the  firm,  and  in  January  of  1891  a  stock 
company  was  formed  and  incorporated  under  the  title  of 
The  Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Knowles  Company,  with  a  paid- 
up  capital  of  one  million  dollars.  Previous  to  the  disas- 
trous fire  of  November  18,  1889,  which  burned  their  china 
works  to  the  ground,  a  considerable  quantity  of  Belleek 


FAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


20X 


china  was  made,  but  since  the  rebuilding-  of  the  works 
that  branch  has  been  discontinued.  Little  was  attempted 
in  the  production  of  art  ware,  however,  until  a  recent 
date,  because  the  marvellous  growth  of  the  business  and 
ever-increasing  demand  for  staple  products  taxed  the  pro- 
ducing capacity  of  the  factory  to  the  utmost.  They  are 
now  turning  out  some  good  things  in  fine  bone  china  of 
a  more  ornamental 
character,  and  indi- 
cations point  to  an 
early  revival  of  a 
high  order  of  deco- 
rative work.  Among 
their  recent  achieve- 
ments are  a  number 
of  excellent  designs 
in  extra  thin  china, 
which  is  beautifully 
translucent  and  of 
dazzling  whiteness. 
This  is  sold  both 
plain  and  decorated. 
At  present  they  are 

producing     quite      a    85 . —  Dj£Coratel>  Thin  China  Chocolate  Put. 

number  of  elaborate  K"  T,)  &  K'  Co' 

and  expensive  decorations,  and  have  twelve  decorating- 
kilns. 

The  mark  used  on  vitreous  hotel  china  and  thin  art 
ware  consists  of  the  initials  of  the  company  above  the 

K    T  &.  K 

word   "  china,"   thus:  — —       ,  and  that  used  on  their 

CHINA 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 


white  granite  ware  is  an  eagle  enclosed  in  a  five-rayed 
badge,  as  here  shown. 

The  Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Knowles  Co.  have  produced 
some  highly  artistic  pieces  for  exhibition  at  the  Chicago 
Exposition.  Especially  worthy  of  notice 
are  two  vases.  One  of  these  is  a  nine- 
inch  piece,  made  of  the  peculiarly  trans- 
lucent bone  china  body  with  soft,  velvety 
glaze,  which  is  designated  by  the  manu- 
facturers "  Lotus"  ware.    The  entire  ex- 


K  N  0  W  LES,TAYL0  R 
AND 

KNOWLES.. 


terior  surface  is  covered  with  an  underodaze  mazarine 

blue  of  a  rich  tone. 
On  one  side  is  a  figure 
of  Cupid  chasing  a  bird 
and  on  the  other  Cupid 
driving  a  pair  of  but- 
terflies. While  the  sub- 
jects are  not  new,  the 
treatment  is  original, 
the  figures  being  exe- 
cuted in  white  Limoges 
enamel  built  up  over 
the  glaze  instead  of 
under  it,  as  in  the  pate- 
sur-pdte  method.  The 
effect  is  particularly 
pleasing.  The  neck  of 
the  vase  is  decorated 
in  raised  coin-gold  after 
the  Renaissance  style,  while  the  handles  are  solidly  gilded 
and  chased. 


86. — Small  Vase,  Relief  Decoration. 
Exhibited  at  Chicago  Fair. 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


205 


The  second  piece  referred  to  is  a  large  vase,  which 
stands  thirty  and  three  quarters  inches  high,  mounted  on 
a  pedestal  twelve  inches  in  height.  Owing  to  the  large 
size  of  the  vase  the  body  employed  is  that  of  the  regular 
hotel  china  made  by  this  firm.    The  ground  color  is  a 


87. — Large  Vase,  Blue  Ground,  Gold  Decoration.     Chicago  Fair. 

rich  mazarine  blue  applied  under  the  glaze.  Flowers  in 
relief  coin-gold  of  various  tints  are  applied  to  the  surface, 
representing  petunias,  and  on  the  side  of  the  piece  is  an 
excellently  painted  pair  of  golden  partridges.  The  neck 
of  the  vase  and  the  pedestal  are  embellished  with  solid, 
raised  gold  borders  in  the  Renaissance  style. 


206 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Particularly  noteworthy  in  their  Chicago  exhibit  were 
some  exquisite  pieces  of  "  Lotus "  ware,  decorated  in 
dainty  colors,  and  several  vases  with  jewelled  decoration 
and  open-work  effects. 

Col.  John  N.  Taylor,  the  president  of  the  company, 
was  born  June  23,  1842,  near  Port  Homer,  Jefferson 
County,  Ohio. 


88. — COL.  JOHN  N.  TAYLOR. 

In  1849  he  came,  with  his  parents,  to  East  Liverpool, 
Ohio,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  Battery  "  B,"  known  as 
"  Cooper's  Battery,"  First  Pennsylvania  Light  Artillery, 
and  afterward  became  Second  Lieutenant  of  Company 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO.  207 

"I,"  143d  Regiment,  O.  V.  I.  He  was  appointed  post- 
master at  East  Liverpool  in  1864.  In  1868  he  connected 
himself  with  the  pottery  business,  and,  as  we  have  seen, 
in  1870  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Knowles,  Taylor, 
&  Knowles.  On  the  incorporation  of  The  Knowles,  Taylor, 
&  K*nowles  Company,  he  became  its  first  president,  and 
has  since  continued  to  occupy  that  position.  He  is  also 
vice-president  of  The  Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Anderson  Co., 
a  corporation  with  a  paid-in  capital  of  a  half  million  dol- 
lars, organized  for  the  manufacture  of  sewer  pipe  and 
other  clay  products  at  a  large  plant  in  the  East  End,  a 
suburb  of  East  Liverpool.  Stilts,  pins,  saggers,  and 
other  potters'  supplies  are  also  made  by  this  company  at 
the  works  known  as  The  Potters'  Supply  Co. 

Col.  Taylor's  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  and  to  his 
personal  efforts  are  due,  to  a  large  degree,  the  bringing 
of  the  establishments  with  which  he  has  been  identified  to 
their  present  high  place  in  the  business  world.  He  was  ap- 
pointed chairman  of  the  Committee  on  World's  Columbian 
Exposition,  appointed  by  the  U.  S.  Potters'  Association. 

Col.  Taylor  has  long  been  a  warm  personal  friend  of 
Gov.  William  McKinley,  dating  back  to  the  time  and 
before  the  "  Little  Major"  entered  the  halls  of  Congress, 
and  upon  his  elevation  to  the  gubernatorial  chair  in  Ohio 
the  Governor  appointed  him  a  member  of  his  staff,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel. 

OTHER  EAST  LIVERPOOL  WORKS. 

Henry  Speeler,  a  German,  was  one  day  wandering 
along  the  river  bank  near  the  Harker  Pottery,  when  he 


208  PO TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELA IN. 

became  engaged  in  conversation  with  a  laborer  who  was 
employed  there.  The  former  applied  for  and  was  given 
employment,  and  proved  to  be  an  excellent  thrower. 
Later  he  sold  ware  through  the  country,  and  after  accu- 
mulating some  money,  associated  himself,  about  1858, 
with  William  Bloor  and  James  Taylor,  the  latter  having 
been  at  one  time  a  partner  of  George  S.  Harker,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Harker  &  Taylor.  This  partnership, 
however,  was  after  a  time  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Speeler  then 
built  the  original  part  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Inter- 
national Pottery  in  Trenton,  N.  J. 

The  works  of  Messrs.  C.  C.  Thompson  &  Co.  were 
established  in  1868  by  C.  C.  Thompson  and  J.  T.  Herbert. 
Two  years  later  the  dry-goods  firm  of  Josiah  Thompson 
&  Co.  purchased  the  interest  of  the  latter,  and  the  firm 
became  C.  C.  Thompson  &  Co.,  composed  of  Josiah 
Thompson,  the  father,  C.  C.  Thompson,  J.  C.  Thompson, 
and  B.  C.  Simms.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Josiah 
Thompson,  in  November,  1889,  the  firm  was  incorporated, 
and  is  known  now  as  the  C.  C.  Thompson  Pottery  Com- 
pany, and  the  establishment  is  among  the  largest  pro- 
ducers of  yellow  and  Rockingham  wares  in  this  country. 
In  1884  the  plant  was  increased  and  the  manufacture  of 

C.  C.  ware  commenced.  In  1890  a  decorat- 
^~^CQ     m&  department  was  added,  which  is  now 
an  important  factor  in  the  business.  The 
trade-mark  used  on  the  semi-granite  wares 

SEMI-GRANITE     Qf  th;s  factory  js  here  given. 

Among  the  first  attempts  to  produce  artistic  commer- 
cial ware  in  East  Liverpool  were  some  underglaze  stone- 


EAST  LIVERPOOL,  OHIO. 


ware  cups  and  saucers  made  at  the  works  of  Mr.  Homer 
Laughlin  (formerly  Laughlin  Brothers),  and  decorated  by 
Mr.  Edward  Lycett  in  1879.  Some  toilet  sets  exhibited 
by  Mr.  Laughlin  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition 
have  been  much  admired.  They  are  decorated  with 
raised  designs  in  dull  gold  and  dark  coloring  on  tinted 
grounds,  and  are  of  novel  and  graceful  forms. 

The  Dresden  Pottery  Works  of  the  Potters'  Co-opera- 
tive Company  were  established  in  1876,  of  which  Mr.  H. 
A.  McNicol  is  president.  They  produce  ironstone  china 
and  decorated  wares  in  table  and  toilet  services.  The 
decorations  are  particularly  praiseworthy. 

Messrs.  Cartwright  Brothers  manufacture,  at  their  In- 
dustrial Pottery  Works,  C.  C.  goods,  plain  and  decorated, 
and  specialties  in  ivory  decorated  ware. 

The  Standard  Pottery  Company  are  manufacturers  of 
ironstone  china  and  decorated  wares  in  the  usual  lines. 

Messrs.  Wallace  &  Chetwynd  commenced  business 
about  1882  and  are  now  making  a  high  grade  of  opaque 
china,  American  stone  china  and  decorated  goods.  Mr. 
Joseph  Chetwynd  learned  the  business  in  his  father's  pot- 
tery in  England,  and  was  for  several  years  employed  as 
manager  and  modeller  by  Messrs.  Cockson  &  Chetwynd 
of  Staffordshire. 

Messrs.  Rowe  &  Mountford  have  for  a  number  of 
years  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  stilts,  pins,  and 
spurs,  and  in  1891  added  a  china  department,  and  are  now 
producing  vitreous  translucent  hotel  ware. 

The  American  Pottery  Works  of  Messrs.  Sebring 

Brothers  &  Co.  were  established  in  1887.    They  make 
14 


2  IO 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


white  granite  and  decorated  wares  for  the  jobbing  trade 
in  dinner  and  tea  services. 

Among  the  other  important  establishments  in  East 
Liverpool  are  the  Riverside  Knob  Manufacturing  Co.  of 
Henry  Brunt  &  Son  ;  Burford  Brothers  ;  Burgess  &  Co., 
makers  of  bone  china,  staple,  and  fancy  goods  ;  J.  W. 
Croxall  &  Sons,  successors  to  Croxall  &  Cartwright  ;  the 
Eagle  Pottery  Works  of  S.  &  W.  Baggott ;  Great  West- 
ern Pottery  Works  of  John  Wyllie  &  Son,  established 
in  1868  ;  Globe  Pottery  Co.  ;  Novelty  Pottery  Works  of 
McNicol,  Burton  &  Co.  ;  R.  Thomas  &  Sons,  hard  vitreous 
porcelain  electric  goods  ;  the  American  Stilt  Works,  and 
E.  M.  O'Connor,  maker  of  saggers  and  fire-brick. 

East  Liverpool  is  distinctively  a  pottery  city  and  nearly 
half  of  its  inhabitants  are  interested  in  some  manner  in 
the  pottery  industry.  At  the  present  time  it  has  twenty- 
nine  potteries,  nine  decorating  works,  two  stilt  and  trian- 
gle manufactories,  one  sagger  factory,  and  three  establish- 
ments for  the  manufacture  of  door-knobs.  It  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  the  oldest  important  centre  of  the 
pottery  industry  in  the  United  States  and  of  producing 
the  men  who  established  many  of  the  most  successful 
potteries  in  every  section  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER  XL 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 

THE  pottery  industry,  which  has  reached  such  a  mar- 
vellous growth  in  Trenton  as  to  gain  for  that  city 
the  title  of  the  "  Staffordshire  of  America,"  had  its 
actual  beginning  there  in  1852,  when  Messrs.  Taylor  and 
Speeler  commenced  the  manufacture  of  yellow  and  Rock- 
ingham wares.  At  the  present  time  the  establishments 
engaged  in  Trenton  in  the  production  of  all  grades  of  ware, 
from  common  pottery  to  majolica,  and  from  white  granite 
to  the  finest  porcelain,  both  plain  and  decorated,  number 
thirty-seven,  having  the  capacity  of  producing  in  value 
about  five  million  dollars'  worth  of  wares  per  annum.  The 
central  location,  superior  railway,  canal,  and  river  transpor- 
tation facilities,  and  close  contiguity  to  the  clay  deposits 
of  New  Jersey,  have  all  contributed  to  the  concentration 
and  enormous  development  of  the  manufacture  at  this 
point.  Interesting  as  is  the  subject  to  the  ceramic  student, 
we  must  of  necessity  confine  ourselves  to  a  review  of 
the  history  of  the  most  important  and  representative  of 
these  establishments. 

We  can  but  briefly  allude  to  the  difficulties  encountered 

by  the  early  potters  in  seeking  the  various  clays  necessary 

21 1 


212 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN, 


for  the  production  of  white  wares,  as  well  as  the  feldspar 
and  flint  required  in  the  manufacture  of  these  goods.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  no  mines,  except  of  the  common 
New  Jersey  fire-clays,  had  been  developed  at  that  time. 
Many  thousand  miles  were  travelled  by  the  first  potters  of 
Trenton  in  search  of  suitable  kaolin.  The  first  deposit 
was  found  near  Hockessin,  Delaware,  and  was  known  as 
the  Graham  mine.  This  afterwards  changed  hands  and 
several  other  mines  were  developed  in  that  section,  the 
most  notable  being  that  operated  by  Israel  Lacy.  Another 
deposit  was  discovered  a  few  years  later  at  Brandywine 
Summit,  Delaware  County,  Pa.,  and  worked  by  the  National 
Kaolin  Company.  This  clay  was  probably  the  best  used 
in  the  early  years  of  the  industry  and  is  still  largely  in 
demand.  The  first  flint  used  in  Trenton  for  the  produc- 
tion of  white  ware  was  picked  up  in  Pennsylvania  and  in 
different  places  near  Trenton,  wherever  a  piece  could  be 
found  on  the  surface.  Later,  the  vast  quarries  of  Harford 
County,  Maryland,  on  the  Susquehanna,  were  discovered, 
and  the  bulk  of  this  material  has  come  from  that  section. 
The  first  feldspar  mines  operated  were  in  Connecticut, 
near  Hartford.  A  number  of  mines  have  since  been  de- 
veloped in  that  State,  in  Maine,  Pennsylvania,  and  Mary- 
land, and  kaolin  deposits  of  fine  quality  are  at  present  in 
course  of  development  in  North  and  South  Carolina, 
Florida,  and  various  other  sections  of  the  country.  When 
it  is  realized  that  the  clay  and  mineral  mines  of  England 
have  been  worked  for  perhaps  three  hundred  years,  while 
in  this  country  the  raw  materials  have  not  been  developed 
in  a  systematic  way  until  within  the  past  forty  years  or  so, 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


213 


we  can  more  fully  appreciate  the  obstacles  which  our 
potters  have  surmounted  in  bringing  the  industry  to  its 
present  condition.  Until  a  comparatively  recent  period 
each  pottery  manufactured  the  same  class  of  wares,  white 
granite  and  C.  C.  or  cream  color,  and  in  a  very  limited 
way  decorated  toilet  ware.  Of  late  there  has  been  a  great 
diversification  and  specialization  of  the  business,  so  that 
now  a  number  of  manufactories  produce  sanitary  and 
plumbers'  earthenware  exclusively  ;  others  make  nothing 
but  vitrified  china,  while  some  confine  their  productions  to 
semi-porcelain  and  white  granite,  and  a  few  have  embarked 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  finer  grades  of  porcelain.  To 
all  of  these  establishments  extensive  decorating  depart- 
ments have  been  added. 

The  Glasgow  Pottery  was  established  in  1863  by  Mr. 
John  Moses,  who  has  ever  since  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  pottery  business  in  Trenton.  He  was  born 
in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  in  1832,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  at  the  age  of  twenty.  He  first  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  dry-goods  business  in  Philadelphia,  where  he 
acquired  a  practical  business  training.  In  the  year  first 
mentioned  above,  he  rented  a  pottery  with  two  small  kilns 
that  had  been  used  for  making  yellow  and  Rockingham 
wares,  and  immediately  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
cream-colored  ware,  shortly  afterward  extending  the  busi- 
ness to  the  production  of  white  granite  or  ironstone  china. 
At  the  time  he  introduced  decorations  on  table  and  toilet 
sets  there  was  only  one  man  in  Trenton  who  understood 
this  branch  of  the  art,  who  did  all  the  decorating  for  the 
ten  potteries  then  in  operation.    The  first  ornamentation 


214 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CEL  A  IN. 


attempted  was  the  application  of  plain  color  bands,  then 
gold  lines,  and  by  a  gradual  development  the  more  elab- 
orate decorations  were  finally  introduced.  The  capacity 
of  the  factory  was  increased  as  the  growth  of  the  business 
required,  and  in  a  short  time  Mr.  Moses  was  successfully 
making  wares  fully  equal  to  any  made  by  the  practical 


89. — Mr.  John  Moses. 


English  potters  who  were  his  competitors  in  Trenton. 
His  present  productions  are  dinner,  tea,  toilet,  and  deco- 
rated wares  of  every  description.  The  name  of  the  Glas- 
gow Pottery  is  widely  known  throughout  this  country  in 
connection  with  the  John  Hancock  cups  and  saucers  used 
at  the  Centennial  Tea  Parties,  which  were  made  exten- 


TRENTON,  N  J. 


215 


sively  just  previous  to  the  Exhibition  of  1876.  Mr.  Moses 
is  also  a  large  producer  of  white  granite  and  cream-colored 
wares,  thin  hotel  and  steamboat  china  of  excellent  grades, 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  upholding  the  pro- 
tective tariff  on  American  crockery  before  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  of  Congress. 

THE  ETRURIA  POTTERY. 

The  Ott  &  Brewer  Company,  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  now 
operate  the  factory  which  was  built  by  Messrs.  Bloor, 
Ott,  &  Booth,  in  1863.  Mr.  John  Hart  Brewer,  president 
of  the  company,  entered  the  firm  in  1865,  and,  being  an 
artist  himself  of  considerable  ability,  soon  made  his  in- 
fluence felt  in  the  improvement  of  methods  and  elevation 
of  standards.  Until  1876  the  chief  products  of  this  fac- 
tory consisted  of  white  granite  and  cream-colored  ware. 

The  first  attempts  in  the  manufacture  of  "Belleek" 
egg-shell  china  were  made  by  Mr.  Brewer  in  1882,  in  con- 
junction with  Mr.  William  Bromley,  Jr.,  but  these  early 
trials  were  not  entirely  satisfactory.  Encouraged  by 
partial  success,  however,  Mr.  Brewer  induced  Bromley 
to  send  for  his  father,  William  Bromley,  and  his  brother, 
John  Bromley,  who,  with  two  or  three  other  hands,  came 
over  in  the  following  year  from  the  Belleek  factory  in 
Ireland.  Mr.  William  H.  Goss,  of  Stoke-on-Trent,  in- 
vented this  body  some  thirty  years  ago,  at  which  time  the 
elder  Bromley  was  acting  as  his  manager.  Messrs.  David 
McBirney  and  Robert  Williams  Armstrong  were  then 
attempting  to  make  first-class  ceramic  goods  at  their 
recently  established  manufactory  in  the  village  of  Belleek, 


2 1 6  PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


county  of  Fermanagh,  Ireland.  Mr.  Armstrong  induced 
Bromley  to  take  a  number  of  Mr.  Goss'  best  workmen  to 
Ireland  and  introduce  the  egg-shell  porcelain  there.  The 
ware  produced  at  that  factory  has  since  become  world- 
famous,  being  characterized  by  extreme  lightness  of  body 
and  a  beautiful,  lustrous  glaze. 


The  ware  now  manufactured  by  the  Ott  &  Brewer  Com- 
pany at  the  Etruria  Pottery  is  made  entirely  from  American 
materials,  and  is  a  vast  improvement  over  the  body  and 
glaze  first  introduced  by  the  Bromleys  ten  years  ago. 
The  rich  iridescence  of  the  nacreous  glaze  is  fully  equal 
to  that  of  the  Irish  Belleek  which  is  produced  from  salts 
of  bismuth  colored  with  metallic  oxides  ;  in  delicacy  of 
coloring  and  lightness  of  weight  the  Trenton  ware  is  even 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


21  J 


superior.  A  dozen  cups  and  saucers,  making  twenty-four 
distinct  pieces  of  the  ordinary  size,  almost  as  thin  as  paper, 
weigh  just  one  pound  avoirdupois,  or  an  average  of  only 
two  thirds  of  an  ounce  each.  A  large  variety  of  forms  of 
this  porcelain  are  produced,  in  both  ornamental  and  useful 
designs.  The  larger  vases  are  usually  simple  in  outline 
and  of  the  same  comparative  lightness  as  those  of  smaller 
size.  They  often  possess  pierced  necks,  feet,  and  handles, 
and  are  elegantly  decorated  in  enamels,  gold  relief,  and 
chasing. 

A  triumph  of  the  potters  skill  is  a  Belleek  ostrich-egg 
bojibonniere,  in  two  segments,  which  is  exquisitely  per- 
forated or  honey-combed  over  its  entire  surface. 


92. — White  Granite  Jardiniere.    Ott  &  Brewer  Company. 

Illustration  91  represents  a  large  vase  of  the  "  Bourne  " 
pattern,  decorated  in  raised  gold  and  colors.  The  shape 
is  graceful  and  the  decoration  is  exceedingly  artistic. 


2l8 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


In  addition  to  art  porcelains,  this  factory  produces  a 
great  quantity  of  granite  ware  and  opaque  china,  in  dinner, 
tea,  and  toilet  sets,  which  are  both  print-decorated  and 
hand-painted.  A  jardiniere  of  white  granite,  which  is 
here  figured,  is  a  refined  example  of  artistic  decoration  in 
quiet  tones  (111.  92). 

In  presenting  a  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Brewer,  we 
cannot  do  better  than  quote  from  the  Pottery  and  Glass- 
ware Reporter,  of  June,  18,  1891  : 

"  In  1873  Messrs.  Ott  &  Brewer  bought  out  the 
interest  of  Mr.  Bloor,  who  removed  to  East  Liverpool, 
where  he  subsequently  died.  The  young  member  of  the 
firm,  then  in  his  twenty-ninth  year,  filled  with  enthusiasm 
for  his  business  and  inspired  with  the  patriotic  sentiments 
pervading  the  preparation  for  the  1876  Centennial  Expo- 
sition, at  once  began  to  show  the  possibilities  of  his  craft, 
and  the  result  was  a  showing  at  Philadelphia  that  was  a 
revelation  both  to  the  American  people  and  their  foreign 
competitors.  In  the  preparation  and  organization  of  the 
American  pottery  display,  Mr.  Brewer  took  an  active  and 
leading  part,  and  subsequently  took  a  prize  at  the  Paris 
Exposition,  where  he  also  exhibited.  About  this  time  he 
first  manufactured  vitrified  hotel  china,  and  several  speci- 
mens still  in  his  possession  testify  to  its  excellent  quality. 
It  was,  however,  left  to  others  to  make  its  manufacture  a 
commercial  success.  Mr.  Brewer,  like  the  early  potters 
of  the  English  and  French  schools,  has  been  more  inter- 
ested in  achieving  practical  success  than  in  making  money, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  is  not  as  wealthy  as  some  of  his 
more  conservative  contemporaries.     He  has  spent  many 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


thousand  dollars  in  arriving  at  the  present  stage,  and  the 
American  industry  generally  has  shared  in  its  benefits. 

"  The  United  States  Potters'  Association,  which  has 
done  much  to  unify,  strengthen,  and  advance  the  pottery 
interests  of  this  country,  was  suggested  and  successfully 
organized  by  Mr.  Brewer,  who  was  for  some  years  its 


93. — Hon.  John  Hart  Brewer. 

secretary,  and  subsequently  became  its  president.  His 
familiar  face  is  seen  at  every  convention,  and  it  is  hard  to 
tell  when  he  is  at  his  best,  in  the  serious  discussions  of 
the  convention,  or  when,  as  toastmaster  at  the  banquet, 
the  speakers  are  introduced  with  witty  and  appropriate 
remarks. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


"In  1875  he  was  elected  to  the  New  Jersey  House  of 
Assembly  in  a  district  that  usually  went  Democratic,  and 
subsequently  became  a  Representative  in  both  the  47th 
and  48th  Congresses,  where  he  speedily  became  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  most  intelligent  exponents  and 
advocates  of  the  tariff  question,  and  gained  a  national 
reputation. 

"  Mr.  Brewer  is  a  thoroughly  practical  potter,  familiar 
with  all  the  details  of  the  industry,  acquainted  with  all  its 
ups  and  downs  during  the  past  twenty-six  years,  and 
always  taking  an  active  interest  in  anything  relating  to 
its  advancement.  In  the  recent  efforts  to  cultivate  the 
spirit  of  practical  art  by  offering  prizes  to  the  various  art 
schools  he  has  been  prominent.  His  genial  manners  and 
kindly  disposition  have  endeared  him  to  all  he  has  come 
in  contact  with,  and  even  in  the  heat  of  political  strife 
he  has  commanded  the  respect  and  friendship  of  his  op- 
ponents. No  employer  is  more  popular  among  his 
employees,  and  no  manufacturer  more  respected  among 
his  colleagues. 

"  Mr.  Brewer  was  born  in  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J., 
March  29,  1844,  and  is  a  lineal  descendant,  on  his  mothers 
side,  of  John  Hart,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence." 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  Centennial  Exhibition, 
Mr.  Isaac  Broome,  an  American  sculptor,  who  had  already 
gained  considerable  reputation  as  an  artist  of  ability,  was 
engaged  by  Messrs.  Ott  &  Brewer  to  design  and  model  a 
series  of  works  in  parian  for  that  occasion.    These  at- 


94- — Base-Ball  Vase.    Modelled  by  Broome. 

221 


222 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


tracted  much  attention,  both  on  account  of  their  original- 
ity of  form  and  artistic  treatment.    A  tea  set,  ornamented 

with  raised  designs  and 
portrait  busts  of  Gen- 
eral and  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton, was  particularly 
noteworthy.  His 
"Fashion"  vases,  em- 
bellished with  figures 
in  low  relief,  illustrate 
the  styles  of  the  last 
and  present  centuries. 
They  are  unique  in 
form  and,  like  all  of 
Prof.  Broome's  work, 
characterized  by  con- 
scientious attention  to 
detail  and  careful  finish. 
One  of  the  most  spirit- 
ed designs  of  the  series 
is  the  base-ball  vase 
(111.  94),  which  was  sug- 
gested by  Mr.  Brewer 
and  worked  out  by  Mr. 
Broome.  It  is  sugges- 
tive throughout,  in  all 
of  its  harmonious  de- 
tails, of  the  American 
national  game.  From 

95. — Pastoral  Vase  and  Bracket.    Modelled        nedestal  rises  a  PTad- 

by  Broome.  *■ 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


223 


ually  tapering  vase,  of  which  the  lower  portion  is  formed  of 

a  series  of  bats  banded  together  by  a  strap,  while  the  upper 

portion  is  embellished  with  figures  of  ball-players  in  low 

relief.     The  cover  represents  a  base-ball,  surmounted  by 

the  American  eagle,  and  around  the  projecting  ledge 

of   the   base    are   arranged    three    players  in  life-like 

attitudes.  The  modelling  is  faultless  and  the  figures  are 
full  of  action. 

A  pastoral  vase,  by  the  same  artist,  is  no  less  meri- 
torious, though  of  an  entirely  different  character.  The 
rustic  decoration,  in  low  relief,  is  well  suited  to  the  form, 
and  the  goat's  head  handles  are  in  keeping  with  the  other 
ornamental  details.  A  faun's  head  bracket,  of  classic 
conception  and  excellently  modelled,  forms  an  appro- 
priate support  for  the  vase  (see  111.  95). 

Probably  the  most  pretentious  piece  of  work  which 
Prof.  Broome  has  done  for  the  Etruria  Pottery  is  the 
parian  bust  of  Cleopatra  (111.  96).  This  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  place  him  in  the  front  ranks  of  American 
sculptors,  and  is  one  of  a  large  number  of  heads  which 
have  been  modelled  by  him.  Busts  of  public  men  have 
been  made  from  life  or  the  best  portraits  obtainable,  and 
are  faithful  likenesses  of  the  originals.  The  parian  ware 
of  the  Etruria  Pottery  is  soft  and  mellow  in  texture  and  a 
close  imitation  of  the  finest  statuary  marble. 

THE   BURROUGHS   AND   MOUNTFORD  COMPANY 

commenced  business  in  Trenton,  in  1879,  in  what  was  for- 
merly the  Eagle  Pottery.  Their  specialties  are  vitrified, 
thin,  and  hotel  china,  decorated  table  and  toilet  sets, 


224         PO TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELAIN. 

and  underglaze  printing  on  pottery  and  porcelain.  The 
mechanical  application  of  decorations  is  the  distinguish- 


96. — Parian  Bust — Cleopatra.    By  Broome. 

ing  characteristic  of  one  line  of  their  art  potteries,  which, 
while  closely  imitating  the  more  expensive  methods  of 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


hand-painting,  enables  them  to  produce  highly  artistic 
effects  at  a  greatly  reduced  cost.  The  bold  ornamenta- 
tion of  their  jardinieres,  umbrella-jars,  punch-bowls,  and 


97. — Vases.    Burroughs  &  Mountford  Co. 


vases,  after  the  Doulton,  Royal  Worcester,  Limoges,  and 

Adderley  methods,  bears  a  striking  individuality  of  its 

15 


226         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


own.  Probably  their  most  beautiful  pieces  are  those  on 
which  raised  gold  designs  are  applied  by  hand  to  an  ex- 
quisite mazarine  blue.  One  of  the  finest  examples  of  this 
class  is  a  large  vase  thirty-six  inches  in  height,  with  silver 
and  gold  raised  paste  work,  on  a  solid  blue  ground, 
executed  by  a  Japanese  artist.  The  accompanying  illus- 
tration shows  this  piece  mounted  on  a  four-inch  pedestal, 
between  two  vases  of  ordinary  size  (111.  97). 

White  tiles  of  a  fine  quality,  with  underglaze  blue 
printed  devices,  as  well  as  embossed  and  enamelled  art 
tiles,  are  also  made  here  to  some  extent. 

One  of  their  latest  styles  of  ornamentation,  as  applied 
to  panels  in  jardinieres  and  vases,  is  the  outline  printing 
of  human  figures  and  scenes  which  are  filled  in  by  hand 
in  colors,  over  the  glaze.  The  effect  is  exceedingly  rich 
and  artistic,  and  by  this  process  very  creditable  substitutes 
for  the  more  expensive  imported  ceramic  paintings  are 
placed  on  the  market  at  surprisingly  low  prices. 

THE  GREENWOOD   POTTERY  COMPANY 

was  incorporated  in  1868,  the  present  officers  being  Mr. 
James  Tarns,  president,  and  Mr.  James  P.  Stephens,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer.  The  business  was  established  in  1861, 
under  the  style  of  Stephens,  Tarns,  &  Co.  Mr.  Tarns  came 
from  Longton,  Staffordshire,  England,  where,  at  an  early 
age,  he  learned  the  pottery  business  in  all  of  its  branches. 
Until  1876  they  made  white  granite  or  stone  china  ware, 
since  which  date  they  have  been  making  a  specialty  of  the 
manufacture  of  vitrified  and  translucent  china  for  hotel, 
steamship,  and  railway  uses.    They  are  also  producing  at 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


227 


the  present  time  thin  china  table  ware  of  a  superior  quality, 
with  overglaze  and  underglaze  decorations,  for  domestic 
purposes,  porcelain  hardware  trimmings,  and  electrical, 
telegraph,  and  telephone  insulating  supplies.  Some  years 
ago  they  added  an  art  department  to  their  extensive 
establishment,  and  their  produc- 
tions, consisting  of  vases,  plaques, 
and  other  ornamental  designs, 
richly  decorated  in  the  Royal 
Worcester  style,  are  character- 
ized by  elegance  of  form,  of  which, 
it  is  said,  no  duplicates  are  made. 
The  best  pieces  possess  an  ivory 
finish  and  white  enamel,  raised 
gold,  silver,  and  bronze  effects. 
Their  mazarine  blue  is  particularly 
noteworthy,  being  exceedingly  rich 
in  tone  and  remarkably  fine  and 
even  in  texture,  and  has  been 
favorably  compared  with  the  Bleu 
de  Rot  of  European  factories.  An- 
other style  of  decoration,  which 
has  been  practised  here  to  some 
extent,  is  pdte-sur-pdte  or  clay 
upon  clay. 

The  plant  of  the  company  consists  of  seventeen  large 
kilns,  with  an  annual  producing  capacity  of  over  half  a 
million  dollars.  The  experience  of  this  company,  in  intro- 
ducing their  vitreous  hotel  china,  reveals  the  extent  of 
that  deep-seated  prejudice  which  existed  in  this  country 


98.—"  Ivory"  Vase, 
Royal  Worcester  Style. 
Greenwood  Pottery  Co. 


228  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


some  years  ago  against  everything  made  in  America,  but 
the  superior  merits  of  the  ware  were  finally  recognized, 
and  it  has  now  largely  taken  the  place  of  imported  china. 

The  mark  used  from  1865  to  1876  was  the  coat-of-arms 
of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  above  the  words  "  Ironstone 
China,"  and  "  G.  P.  Co."  This  was  printed  in  black 
under  the  glaze.  The  first  table  porcelain  made  at  this 
pottery  was  stamped  "  G.  P.  Co." 

MR.   THOMAS  MADDOCK 

first  made  plumbers'  sanitary  ware  in  1870,  and  still  con- 
tinues to  manufacture  it  extensively.  At  the  American 
Institute  Fair,  held  in  New  York  in  1879,  ne  exhibited  an 
interesting  large  Grecian  vase  of  stoneware,  decorated  on 
one  side  with  a  drawing  of  an  ancient  Egyptian  potter  at 
work.  The  names  of  half  a  dozen  governors  of  as  many 
States  were  written  on  the  biscuit,  who  were  present  when 
the  piece  was  being  made. 

THE  DELAWARE  POTTERY. 

In  1880  one  of  Mr.  Maddock's  foremen  went  to 
the  Enterprise  Pottery  and  introduced  these  specialties 
there.  Mr.  Oliphant  was  then  interested  in  the  latter 
factory,  but  withdrew  in  1884,  and  started  the  Delaware 
Pottery  in  partnership  with  three  of  his  sons,  in  con- 
junction with  Mr.  Thomas  Connelly,  recently  from  the 
Belleek  works,  Ireland,  and  Mr.  Charles  Fay.  Messrs. 
Oliphant  &  Co.  manufacture  plumbers'  appliances  and 
sanitary  specialties,  druggists'  and  jewellers'  supplies. 
These  wares  have  justly  acquired  a  wide  reputation  for 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


229 


excellence  of  quality,  design,  and  decoration.  Their 
Wedgwood  ware  mortars  and  pestles  are  characterized  by 
extreme  hardness  of  body  and  smoothness  of  finish. 

About  1886  Mr.  Connelly  commenced  experimenting 
in  Belleek  china.  He  succeeded  in  producing  some  ex- 
quisitely thin  trial  pieces  of  the  finest  grade,  but  the  ware 
was  never  made  in  sufficient  quantity  to  place  upon  the 
market.  The  few  pieces  which  were  produced,  consisting 
of  small  ewers,  cups,  and  saucers,  were  fired  in  the  large 
kilns  with  the  sanitary  ware.  This  branch  of  the  business 
was  not  developed  beyond  the  experimental  stage,  al- 
though at  the  time  of  Mr.  Connelly's  death,  in  1890, 
success  was  assured. 

THE   INTERNATIONAL  POTTERY. 

In  1878  Messrs.  James  Carr,  of  New  York,  and  Ed- 
ward Clarke,  of  England,  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
cream-colored  and  white  granite  wares,  as  the  Lincoln 
Pottery  Company,  in  the  old  Speeler  works,  one  of  the 
first  potteries  built  in  Trenton  for  the  manufacture  of 
Rockingham  and  yellow  wares.  Mr.  Carr  retired  within 
a  few  months,  and  Mr.  Clarke,  with  others,  founded  the 
International  Pottery  Co.  In  1879  tne  business  was  pur- 
chased by  the  present  proprietors,  Mr.  William  Burgess, 
now  United  States  Consul  at  Tunstall,  England,  in  the 
pottery  district,  and  Mr.  John  A.  Campbell,  who  have 
retained  the  corporate  title.  Porcelain  was  made  here, 
with  varying  success,  for  some  years  previous  to  1888, 
when  a  new  body,  of  exceptional  standing  qualities,  was 
produced,  and  has  been  made  to  the  present  time.  The 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


specialties  of  these  works  are  toilet  and  dinner  sets  of 
artistic  and  novel  shapes,  in  semi-porcelain  body,  in  royal 

blue,  still  blue,  and 
gray  underglaze  colors. 
Their  flown  blue  ser- 
vices, produced  within 
the  past  two  years,  are 
of  exceptional  merit  and 
have  been  pronounced 
equal  in  all  respects  to 
the  best  of  the  kind 
produced  in  England. 
While  no  special  effort 
has  been  made  in  the 
direction  of  decorative 
designs,  many  of  their 
pieces  are  characterized 
by  elegance  of  form  and  a  richness  and  depth  of  blue 
ground  seldom  surpassed  in  this  country  or  abroad.  Their 
royal  blue  "  Wilton  "  dinner  service  is  especially  praise- 
worthy.   The   International  Pottery  Co.  also  produces 


99.— Semi-Porcelain  Plate,  Cobalt  Blue 
Border  and  Gold  Printed  Tracery. 
International  Pottery  Company. 


porcelain  of  a  fine  quality,  white  granite,  and  other  grades 
of  ware,  with  embossed  gold,  enamelled,  and  vellum- 
finished  decorations.    The  mark  used  on  certain  patterns 


232  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

of  underglaze  ware  is  the  circular  stamp  enclosing  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  firm,  which  is  impressed  in 
the  clay.  This  and  their  Rugby  flint  china  mark,  which 
is  printed  under  the  glaze  in  brown,  are  here  given. 

They  are  now  stamping  all  of  their  porcelain  goods  in 
blue  color  :  Royal  Blue 

B— C 
Porcelain. 

The  mark  used  on  their  ironstone  china  is  the  same 
which  was  formerly  employed  by  Messrs.  Carr  &  Clarke, 
and  afterwards  used  in  a  modified  form  by  Mr.  Carr  at 
his  New  York  factory. 


THE   WILLETS   MANUFACTURING  CO. 


Among  the  most  extensive  establishments  in  the  East- 
ern States  is  that  of  the  Willets  Manufacturing  Company 
of  Trenton,  N.  J.  The  present  proprietors,  Messrs. 
Joseph,  Daniel,  and  Edmund  R.  Willets,  three  brothers, 
succeeded  to  the  business  in  1879.  The  factory  was  erected 
in  1853  by  William  Young  and  Sons,  who  at  first  made 
Rockingham  and  common  ware.  At  the  Centennial  Ex- 
hibition William  Young's  Sons  made  a  display  of  crockery 
and  porcelain  hardware  trimmings,  at  which  time  the  plant 
included  onlv  four  kilns.  The  business  has  since  grown 
to  such  an  extent,  under  the  present  management,  that 
there  are  now  thirteen  large  ware  kilns  besides  those  used 
for  decorating.  The  products  from  these  works  include 
sanitary  earthenware,  plumbers'  specialties,  white  and 
decorated  pottery,  opaque  china,  white  granite,  and  art 


233 


porcelain.  A  specialty  in  dinner  and  toilet  services  is 
underglazed  decoration  on  white  bodies. 

After  the  Ott  &  Brewer  Company  had  perfected  the 
body  and  glaze  of  their  Belleek  ware  and  got  it  well  under 
way,  William  Bromley,  Sr.,  went  with  the  Willets  Manu- 
facturing Company  and  instructed  them  in  the  process. 


ioi. — Shell  and  Cupid  Pitcher — Belleek.    Willets  Manufacturing 

Company. 

The  manufacture  of  white  egg-shell  ware,  to  which  they 
are  constantly  adding  new  designs,  is  another  specialty  of 
these  works,  and  the  company  is  now  competing  success- 
fully with  the  Dresden,  Limoges,  and  other  foreign  facto- 
ries in  supplying  white  art  porcelain  to  decorators.  In 


2 34         PO TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELAIN, 

form  their  pieces  are  graceful  and  artistic,  one  of  which  is 
represented  in  Illustration  101.  Some  small  picture 
frames,  in  Belleek  body,  decorated  with  delicately  modelled 
flowers,  are  especially  noteworthy. 


1 02.  —  Large  Vase,  Chrysanthemum  Decoration.  Willets 
Manufacturing  Company. 


They  also  employ  a  number  of  competent  artists  to 
decorate  their  art  goods,  many  of  which  are  reproductions 
of  the  characteristic  shell  and  coral  forms  of  the  Irish 
works.     Illustration  102  represents  a  large  Belleek  vase 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


235 


with  open-work  handles  and  chrysanthemum  decoration  in 
delicate  tints  on  an  ivory,  gold-stippled  ground. 


103. — Belleek  Tray,    Dresden  Decoration.    Willets  Mfg.  Co. 


104. — Works  of  the  Willets  Manufacturing  Company,  Trenton,  N.  J. 
THE  CERAMIC  ART  COMPANY, 


of  which  Mr.  Jonathan  Coxon,  Sr.,  is  president  and  Mr. 
Walter  S.  Lenox  secretary  and  treasurer,  was  established 


2  3  6         PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 

in  Trenton  in  1889.  The  first  named  gentleman  became 
superintendent  at  the  Ott  &  Brewer  Company's  works 
after  Bromley  left,  and  the  latter  was  formerly  in  charge 
of  their  decorating  department.  Here  they  learned  the 
processes  of  manufacturing  Belleek.  They  are  rapidly 
making  a  name  by  their  constantly  increasing  patterns, 
many  of  which  are  exquisitely  conceived  and  show  the 
touch  of  thorough  artists.  Their  specialties  are  Belleek 
ware  and  "  Indian  china,"  many  of  their  best  pieces 
having  been  designed  by  Mr.  William  W.  Gallimore. 
They  have  procured  the  best  designers  and  painters  that 

can  be  found  and  em- 
ploy both  the  over- 
glaze  and  underglaze 
processes  in  decorat- 
ing. Their  egg-shell 
ware  is  also  furnished 
in  the  white  to  deco- 
rators. Illustration 
105  shows  one  of 
these  undecorated 

105. — Egg— Shell  Porcelain-  PieCeS>  a  gleeful  lily- 

The  "Engagement"    Cup  and  Saucer.  shaped  cup   and  sau- 

Ceramic  Art  Company. 

cer.  In  addition  to 
vases  and  table  pieces,  they  make  many  fancy  patterns, 
such  as  thimbles,  inkstands,  parasol  handles,  menu  slabs, 
and  candelabra. 

Among  the  most  recent  productions  of  the  Ceramic 
Art  Company  are  some  beautiful  pieces  of  carved  ware, 
in  Belleek  body,  which  possess  a  high  order  of  artistic 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


237 


merit.  The  decoration  is  entirely  in  relief,  and  is  executed 
by  carving  the  designs  in  the  clay  before  burning,  the  only 
tool  used  being  an  ordinary  jack-knife.  This  work  is  done 
by  Miss  Kate  B.  Sears,  a  young  lady  artist  employed  by 


106. — Carved  Vase.    Ceramic  Art  Company. 


the  company.  A  spherical  vase  of  this  character,  ex- 
hibited at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  is  shown  in 
Illustration  106.  The  interior  is  glazed,  while  the  outside 
is  porcelain  bisque,  entirely  devoid  of  coloring  in  the  dec- 
oration, which  consists  of  elaborate  designs  of  lilies  and 


2  3  8         PO  TTER  V  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


child  figures  extending  around  a  central  zone.  The  soft, 
white  surface  of  the  ware  is  admirably  suited  to  the  sub- 
ject selected  for  decorative  treatment. 

THE  TRENTON  CHINA  COMPANY 

was  incorporated  in  1859,  " to  manufacture  and  sell  porce- 
lain, china,  chemicals,  drugs,  and  other  articles  of  which 
clay,  sand,  and  other  earthy  substances  form  the  basis  or 
principal  ingredients."  Of  late  years  a  specialty  of  this 
company  has  been  vitrified  china,  white  and  decorated,  for 
table  uses.  These  works  were  closed  in  1891.  After 
undergoing  a  very  troublesome  experience  before  per- 
fecting the  quality  of  their  china, — which  was  at  last 
accomplished  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Duggan, — 
the  money  and  patience  of  its  backers  became  exhausted, 
and  the  company  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 

OTHER  TRENTON  POTTERIES. 

By  an  Act  approved  February  9,  1865,  the  Trenton 
Pottery  Company  was  incorporated  for  the  manufacture 
of  earthenware  and  crockery  of  various  descriptions,  the 
incorporators  being  Appollinaire  Husson,  James  Taylor, 
John  F.  Houdayer,  and  Edmund  Husson. 

The  Empire  Pottery  of  Messrs.  Alpaugh  &  Magowan 
was  established  in  1863,  and  was  formerly  owned  by 
Messrs.  Coxon  &  Thompson.  In  1883  the  business 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  present  proprietors.  They 
manufacture  thin  porcelain,  dinner,  tea,  and  toilet,  and 
decorated  wares,  principally  in  white  granite  body.  They 
make  a  specialty  of  sanitary  and  plumbers'  earthenware. 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


239 


The  Mercer  Pottery  Company  was  organized  in  1868, 
and  at  the  present  time  Mr.  James  Moses  is  the  sole  pro- 
prietor. The  products  of  this  pottery  consist  of  a  fine 
line  of  semi-porcelain  dinner  and  toilet  ware,  both  white 
and  decorated ;  also  white  granite  wares  of  the  same  kind. 
This  firm  was  the  first  to  produce  what  is  now  known  as 
semi-porcelain  earthenware  in  this  country.  Mr.  Moses, 
we  think,  is  fairly  entitled  to  that  credit.  He  has  made  a 
great  success  of  it,  and  represents  one  of  the  leading  firms 
in  the  United  States  to-day. 

The  New  Jersey  Pottery  Company  was  organized  in 
1869,  the  incorporators  being  Elias  Cook,  John  Woolver- 
ton,  Caleb  S.  Green,  Barker  Gummere,  and  Nathaniel  E. 
Britton. 

The  Fell  &  Thropp  Company,  known  as  the  Trenton 
Pottery,  was  the  old  Taylor  &  Speeler  pottery.  It  is  now 
owned  by  Samuel  E.  Thropp  and  J.  Hart  Brewer.  They 
manufacture  a  full  line  of  white  granite  and  C.  C.  wares. 
This  pottery  is  the  oldest  white  granite  pottery  in 
Trenton. 

Messrs.  Dale  &  Davis  built  the  Pospect  Hill  Pottery 
in  1880,  the  latter  having  formerly  been  manager  for  Mr. 
John  Moses  at  the  Glasgow  Pottery.  They  produce  a 
large  line  of  decorated  semi-porcelain  and  white  granite 
dinner  and  toilet  wares. 

The  Crescent  Pottery  Company,  composed  of  W.  S. 
Hancock  and  Chas.  H.  Cook,  was  established  in  1881. 
They  manufacture  sanitary  earthenware  and  a  full  line  of 
C.  C.  wares.  At  the  present  time  they  are  one  of  the 
leading  firms  of  Trenton. 


240 


PO  TTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  Crown  Porcelain  Works  of  Messrs.  Barlow  and 
Marsh  were  started  in  1890.  They  produce  a  fine  line  of 
decorated  faience  specialties.  Mr.  Marsh  was  formerly  con- 
nected with  Messrs.  Robertson  &  Company  of  England, 
and  is  a  practical  potter  and  an  artist  of  no  mean  ability. 

The  Trenton  Terra-Cotta  Company,  of  which  Mr. 
Joseph  McPherson  is  president,  and  Mr.  O.  O.  Bowman 
is  treasurer,  manufacture  an  extensive  line  of  fire-brick, 
vitrified  salt-glazed  sewer  pipe,  terra-cotta  chimney  tops 
and  flues,  and  garden  vases.  The  later  are  particularly 
elaborate  and  deservedly  popular. 

The  American  China  Company  of  Trenton  produced 
to  a  limited  extent  stone  china  decorated  by  the  chromo- 
lithographic  process,  which  has  been  employed  in  Europe 
for  perhaps  forty  years.  This  process  consists  in  the  ap- 
plication of  verifiable  decalcomanie  designs  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  ware,  either  under  or  over  the  glaze,  usually 
the  latter.  On  a  plate  in  my  possession,  made  by  the 
above-named  company,  is  a  central  design  of  a  crab,  with 
marginal  fronds  of  sea-weed  in  colors, — green,  brown, 
black,  and  red.  The  effect  is  that  of  the  ordinary  de- 
calcomanie transfer  work,  but,  having  been  fired,  the 
designs  are  permanently  affixed,  as  in  the  other  overglaze 
decorations.  This  process  has  been  carried  to  great  per- 
fection, especially  by  the  Doulton  factory  of  Lambeth, 
England,  and  by  some  of  the  French  potters,  intricate  and 
artistic  designs  being  produced  in  delicate  coloring  which 
resemble  fine  hand-painted  work,  but  the  transfer  printing 
can  be  distinguished  by  the  dots  and  lines  of  the  engrav- 
ing, which  can  be  readily  detected  on  close  inspection. 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


241 


At  the  Arsenal  Pottery  of  the  Mayer  Pottery  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  which  Mr.  Joseph  S.  Mayer  is 
president,  decorated  porcelain,  underglazed  and  majolica 
wares  are  made.  This  is,  probably,  at  the  present  time, 
the  only  concern  in  the  United  States  which  manufactures 
the  so-called  majolica  ware.  Their  exhibit  at  the  Chicago 
Fair  included  some  finely  modelled  Toby  pitchers  or 
jugs,  which  are  excellent  imitations  in  form  and  color  of 
the  old  English  design  so  familiar  to  collectors. 

The  Union  Pottery  Company,  which  was  closed  in 
1889,  made  for  the  political  campaign  of  the  previous 
year  a  quantity  of  six-inch  tiles,  dinner  plates,  etc.,  deco- 
rated with  printed  portraits  of  the  Presidential  candidates. 
This  company  was  incorporated  in  1869,  the  incorporators 
being  Baltes  Pickel,  William  White,  Henry  Smitn,  Joshua 
Jones,  and  Elias  Cook. 

The  American  Art  China  Works  were  established 
December  1,  1 891,  in  what  was  formerly  known  as  the 
Washington  Pottery,  by  Messrs.  Rittenhouse,  Evans,  & 
Co.  The  ware  made  here  is  distinctively  an  American 
production,  and  is  placed  upon  the  market  as  American 
china.  The  body  is  thin,  translucent,  and  strong,  and 
resembles  the  Belleek  ware  made  at  other  Trenton 
factories.  The  shapes  are  new,  and  the  decorations 
artistic.  The  proprietors  of  these  works  are  actuated  by 
the  laudable  determination  to  demonstrate  to  the  Ameri- 
can public  that  it  is  possible  to  produce  home  goods  fully 
equal  in  every  respect  to  any  that  can  be  made  abroad. 
White  china,  in  all  the  shapes  produced  at  these  works, 

is  sold  for  decorating. 

16 


242  PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1892,  Messrs.  W.  T.  Morris  and 
F.  R.  Willmore  commenced  the  erection  of  a  pottery  in 
Trenton  for  the  manufacture  of  art  wares.  The  former 
was  at  one  time  connected  with  the  Belleek  works,  Ire- 
land, and  the  Royal  Worcester  Porcelain  works,  England, 
and  recently  with  the  Ott  &  Brewer  Pottery  of  Trenton. 
Mr.  Willmore  was  also  for  many  years  employed  as  deco- 
rator at  the  two  last-named  establishments.  Their  new 
works,  which  they  have  named  the  Columbian  Art  Pot- 
tery, were  finished  in  the  early  part  of  1893.  Thin  Belleek 
china  and  ivory  ware,  of  a  fine  quality,  are  made  here  in 
original  forms  and  decorations,  and  include  articles  of 
utility  and  ornamental  pieces,  such  as  candle-sticks,  um- 
brella holders,  jardinieres,  tea-pots,  and  specialties. 

In  addition  to  the  Trenton  establishments  already 
mentioned  are  the  East  Trenton  Pottery  Co.,  which, 
during  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1888,  produced  plates 
with  engraved  portraits  of  the  candidates  ;  the  Anchor 
Pottery  ;  Enterprise  Pottery  Co.  ;  Egyptian  Pottery  Co.  ; 
Equitable  Pottery  Co.  ;  Warren  Kimble  ;  Imperial  Porce- 
lain Works  of  F.  A.  Duggan  ;  C.  W.  Donaghue,  potters' 
supplies  ;  and  a  number  of  decorating  establishments — 
Pope  &  Lee,  Jesse  Dean  Decorating  Co.,  W.  C.  Hen- 
drickson,  Tatler  Decorating  Co.,  and  Poole  &  Stockton. 

Other  parties  have  also  been  engaged  in  the  pottery 
industry  since  i860  with  varying  success,  some  twenty 
establishments  having  discontinued  business,  with  an 
aggregate  loss  of  two  million  dollars. 

Recently  the  Trenton  Potteries  Company  has  been 
incorporated,  to  acquire  and  continue  the  business  here- 


TRENTON,  N.  J. 


^43 


tofore  conducted  by  the  Empire,  Enterprise,  Delaware, 
Equitable,  and  Crescent  potteries,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$3,000,000.  Sanitary  plumbing,  toilet,  and  table  wares 
will  continue  to  be  the  staple  productions. 

The  constant  changes  which  are  taking  place  in  the 
pottery  business  in  Trenton,  through  the  closing  of 
factories  and  the  establishment  of  new  ones  every  year, 
render  it  impossible  to  present  a  complete  history  of  the 
industry  to  date,  for  even  as  these  lines  are  being  written 
word  comes  to  us  that  new  enterprises  are  being  started  ; 
and  the  wonderfully  rapid  advances  in  the  art  furnish 
evidence  that  no  chronicler  can  keep  pace  with  the 
progress  of  the  American  potter. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


POTTERIES   ESTABLISHED   BETWEEN  1859 

AND  1876. 

A POTTERY  was  erected  in  Peoria,  111.,  by  Messrs. 
Fenton  and  Clark  in  1859,  wno  came  from  Ben- 
nington, Vt.  They  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  white  granite  and  cream-colored  wares,  but  the  venture 
did  not  prove  a  financial  success  and  the  factory  was  only 
operated  about  three  years.  Afterwards  the  works  were 
continued  by  other  parties,  who  made  Rockingham  and 
stoneware.  We  have  seen  some  brown  pottery  tobacco 
jars  which  were  made  during  this  period,  marked  ilunois, 
of  crood  form  and  excellent  oflaze. 

In  1873  the  Peoria  Pottery  Co.  was  organized  and 
continued  the  manufacture  of  stoneware  until  1889,  when 
they  took  up  the  white-ware  line  and  still  continue  to  pro- 
duce white  granite,  cream-colored,  and  decorated  wares. 
At  the  Chicago  Exhibition  this  company  displayed  some 
fine  tinted  table  services  in  pale  green,  salmon,  and  other 
delicate  colors. 

THE  NEW  ENGLAND   POTTERY  CO. 

Mr.  L.  W.  Clark,  son  of  Mr.  Decius  W.  Clark,  who  was 

at  one  time  superintendent  of  the  United  States  Pottery, 

244 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876. 


245 


Bennington,  Vt,  accompanied  his  father  to  Peoria,  111.,  in 
1859,  a°d  remained  with  the  new  firm  of  Fenton  and 
Clark  at  that  place  for  about  two  years,  when  he  left  to 
enter  the  army.  In  1875  ne  went  to  Boston,  and,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Thomas  Gray,  assumed  control  of 
the  New  England  Pottery.  This  establishment  was 
founded  in  1854  by  Mr.  Frederick  Meagher,  who  made 
Rockingham  and  yellow  ware.  It  was  afterward  taken  by 
Mr.  William  H.  Homer,  from  whom  the  plant  was  pur- 
chased by  the  present  proprietors,  who  now  produce  the 
usual  lines  of  useful  services  in  cream-colored  and  white 
granite  ware.  For  the  past  five  years  they  have  been 
making  a  decorated  product  in  colored  bodies,  to  which 
they  have  given  the  name  "  Rieti  "  ware.  This  is  a  semi- 
porcelain,  finished  and  decorated  chiefly  after  the  Doulton, 
Adderley,  and  Worcester  methods.  They  also  make 
porcelain  of  an  admirable  quality,  and  their  goods  are 
characterized  by  an  artistic  style  of  decoration  and  excel- 
lence of  glaze,  their  mazarine  blue  and  "  old  ivory  "  finish 
being  especially  praiseworthy.  The  decorating  branches 
are  under  the  direct  supervision  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Phillips, 
who  originates  and  engraves  many  of  the  best  designs 
used  in  their  printing  processes.  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Cope- 
land  designs  and  models  most  of  their  pieces  which,  from 
the  line  of  trade  they  seek,  are  chiefly  utilitarian  rather 
than  ornamental,  but  they  possess  a  grace  of  outline  and 
delicacy  of  coloring  which  render  them  objects  of  great 
beauty.  The  chocolate  jugs,  jardinieres,  and  cuspidors, 
of  these  works  compare  very  favorably  with  the  imported 
wares,  after  which  they  are  to  some  extent  patterned.  Of 


246  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  few  purely  decorative  forms  which  they  have  attempted, 
a  semi-porcelain  vase,  twenty  inches  in  height,  made  in 
1889,  is  particularly  meritorious.  This  is  artistically 
painted  in  natural  colors  on  raised  paste,  the  top  and  base 

being  in  solid  dead 
gold.  Mr.  Bands,  of 
the  Royal  Worcester 
works,  England,  was 
the  artist  (111.  108). 

A  two  -  handled 
cracker  jar,  made  at 
this  factory,  is  worthy 
of  illustration.  The 
body  ground  is  pol- 
ished ivory.  The 
ornamentation  con- 
sists of  corn-flower 
grouping  in  embossed 
gold,  with  ferns  and 

107.— Two-Handled  Cracker  Jar.  foliage     in  natural 

New  England  Pottery  Co.  a.  1        .  , 

tints,  outlined  with 
gold.  The  fluted  neck  and  base  are  tinted  in  robin's-eggblue 
with  fleur-de-lis  pendants,  in  relief  gold.  The  form  of  the 
vessel  is  graceful  and  the  handles  are  a  convenient  adjunct 
to  the  usually  awkward  form  of  cracker  or  rose  jar  (111.  107). 

Mr.  Clark's  previous  career  as  a  potter  will  be  found 
in  connection  with  the  history  of  other  establishments, 
with  which  he  was,  at  various  times,  associated.  Porous 
cups  for  electrical  purposes  and  other  specialties  in 
earthenware  are  also  made  here. 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  247 


Among  the  most  recent  productions  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Pottery,  of  an  ornamental  character,  are  a  jardiniere 
and  a  chocolate  jug, 
which  deserve  special 
description.  The  for- 
mer is  made  of  stone 
porcelain  body  and  fin- 
ished with  bronze  leaf 
scrolls  on  a  white 
oround  with  buff  shad- 
ines.  The  base  is  in 
clouded  bronze  and 
Roman  gold.  The  form 
of  the  piece  is  graceful 
and  the  waving  outlines 
of  the  upper  edge  pro- 
duce an  exceedingly  or- 
nate effect  (111.  109). 

The  chocolate  jug 

is  also  of  stone  porce-  108.— Semi-Porcelain  Vase. 

lain.     This  is    covered       New  England  Pottery  Company,  1889. 

from  shoulder  to  foot  with  a  fine  mazarine  blue  glaze, 
on  which  is  laid  a  cameo  decoration  in  raised  white 
enamel.  The  subject  of  the  decorative  design,  which  is 
artistically  conceived  and  admirably  executed,  is  an  "  In- 
terview between  Bird  and  Bug"  on  a  hawthorn  bush. 
The  shoulder  of  the  piece  is  white,  finished  in  relief  gold 
filigree  work,  with  small  sectional  panels  of  maroon,  bearing 
raised  gold  rosettes.  The  borders  and  handle  are  finished 
in  Roman  o;old.    The  contrast  of  the  white  design  and 

o  <-> 


248  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  rich  gold  ornamentation  against  the  deep-blue  ground 
is  particularly  effective  (111.  no.) 


109. — Jardiniere.    New  England  Pottery  Co. 
POTTERY   AT   BATH,    S.  C. 


In  the  spring  of  1862,  Col.  Thomas  J.  Davies,  a  cot- 
ton planter  in  Edgefield  Co.  (now  Aiken  Co.),  South 
Carolina,  was  induced  by  Anson  Peeler,  formerly  of  Ben- 
nington, Vt.,  who  had  been  a  resident  of  the  former  State 
for  some  six  years,  to  embark  in  the  manufacture  of  fire- 
brick near  Bath,  on  the  South  Carolina  Railroad.  Mr. 


V 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  T0  l876-  249 

Peeler  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  a  skilled  mechanic, 
and  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  entire  business.  The 
necessary  capital  and  the  slaves  for  performing  the  labor 
were  furnished  by  Col.  Davies.    Soon  after  the  establish- 


no. — Chocolate  Jug.    New  England  Pottery  Company. 


ment  of  these  works  large  quantities  of  bricks  were  pro- 
duced equal  in  quality  to  any  that  had  previously  been 
imported,  which  were  marked  "  Bath,  S.  C,  Fire-Bricks." 
The  great  furnaces  for  casting  ordnance,  and  the  powder 
mills  of  the  South,  procured  their  fire-bricks  from  these 


2 50         PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 

works.  From  a  small  beginning  an  extensive  business 
was  soon  established,  and  crucibles  and  tiles  for  gas  works 
were  also  made  extensively.  In  1863  a  great  demand 
sprang  up  for  earthen  jars,  pitchers,  cups  and  saucers,  and 
the  fire-brick  works  were  partially  transformed  into  a 
manufactory  of  such  wares,  which  were  produced  in  large 
quantities  by  negro  men  and  boys,  who  employed  the  old- 
fashioned  "  kick-wheel  "  in  their  manufacture.  The  Con- 
federate hospitals  were  supplied  with  thousands  of  these 
articles  of  rude  and  primitive  shape,  the  body  being  com- 
posed of  three  fourths  to  five  sixths  of  kaolin  and  alluvium 
earth  from  the  swamp  lands  of  the  Savannah  River,  about 
six  miles  distant.  This  composition  made  a  tough  body 
which  partially  vitrified  in  burning.  With  sand  and  ashes 
mixed  thoroughly  as  a  glaze,  excellent  results  were  ob- 
tained. The  ware  was  black  or  brown,  clumsy,  and 
entirely  devoid  of  ornamentation,  but  strong  and  ad-* 
mirably  adapted  to  the  purposes  demanded  by  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  time.  In  1864  the  products  of  the  works 
were  insufficient  for  supplying  the  demand,  although  the 
large  horizontal  kilns  were  devoted  entirely  to  the  burning 
of  these  wares.  At  the  termination  of  the  war,  in  1865, 
operations  at  this  pottery  were  suspended,  and  the  enter- 
prise passed  into  history. 

Col.  Davies  was  born  in  Georgia,  and  is  a  Southern 
gentleman  of  the  old  school.  He  was  graduated  from 
Princeton  College,  New  Jersey,  and  has  been  a  resident 
of  South  Carolina  for  fifty  years.  Since  his  retirement 
from  the  pottery  business  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
mining  of  china  clays. 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  251 

So  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  there  was  but  one  other 
pottery  in  the  South  during  the  Civil  War, — that  of  the 
Stevens  brothers,  near  Milledgeville,  Georgia,  where  crude 
earthenware  was  made.  These  works  have  been  extended, 
and  are  at  present  producing  fire-bricks  and  tiles. 

THE   PHILADELPHIA  CITY  POTTERY. 

These  works  were  established  by  Messrs.  J.  E.  Jef- 
fords &  Co.,  in  1868,  as  the  Port  Richmond  Pottery  Co. 


in. — Decorated  Coffee-Pot,  Dark-Blue  Ground.    J.  E.  Jeffords  &  Co. 

The  pottery  now  includes  two  distinct  factories,  one  of 
which  turns  out  a  high  grade  of  Rockingham,  yellow,  and 
white-lined  blue  ware,  mostly  for  culinary  purposes,  while 
the  adjoining  works  produce  an  excellent  variety  of  white 
and  decorated  pottery  for  table  and  toilet  uses.    In  Rock- 


252 


POT  TER  Y  A  ND  POP  CP  LA  IN. 


ingham,  some  of  the  old  English  designs  are  reproduced, 
such  as  the  "  Toby  "  ale-jug  and  the  cow  creamer.  The 
decorated  white  ware,  such  as  tea-pots  and  gypsy  kettles, 
ornamented  with  floral  designs  in  gold  and  colors,  on 
dark-red,  blue,  brown,  and  cream-colored  grounds,  pos- 
sess considerable  merit.  A  few  years  ago  a  more  elabo- 
rate style  of  ornamentation  was  attempted  in  the  painting 
of  bird  and  floral  subjects  above  the  glaze  (see  111.  iii), 
but  this  was  soon  discontinued  as  being  too  costly  for 
the  general  market.  Printing  from  copper  plates  is 
extensively  practised  here  at  the  present  time,  and  com- 
petent artists  are  employed  in  the  decorative 
departments.  Mr.  Jeffords  came  from  the 
New  York  City  Pottery  of  Messrs.  Mor- 
rison &  Carr,  where  he  learned  the  various 
branches  of  the  business.  He  has  fully 
equipped  his  factories  with  the  most  ap- 
proved modern  appliances,  and  employs 
about  one  hundred  and  eighty  hands. 
Among  other  specialties  extensively  pro- 
duced here  are  decorated  jardinieres  and  stoneware  bot- 
tles for  liquor  baskets,  which  are  sold  largely  for  yachting 
and  excursion  purposes. 

The  only  mark  which  has  ever  been  used  at  this  estab- 
lishment is  a  diamond  bearing  the  date  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  present  firm,  1868. 


THE   UNION   PORCELAIN  WORKS. 


Messrs.  Thomas  C.  Smith  and  C.  H.  L.  Smith  are 
the  proprietors  of  these  works,  which  are  situated  at 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876. 


253 


Greenpoint,  Long  Island.  They  manufacture  a  true  hard 
porcelain  in  table  services,  decorative  pieces,  electrical 
insulators,  and  hardware  trimmings.  The  senior  member 
of  the  firm,  who  is  an  American,  was  formerly  an  architect 
by  profession,  but  owing  to  a  peculiar  combination  of 
circumstances  was  forced  to  purchase  these  works  about 
the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  without 
intending  to  engage  in  the  busi- 
ness himself.  During  an  absence 
abroad  shortly  afterwards,  how- 
ever, he  conceived  the  idea  of 
embarking  in  the  porcelain  busi- 
ness, and  on  his  return  he  set  to 
work  to  utilize  the  knowledge 
which  he  had  acquired  among 
the  large  factories  of  Europe  and 
at  once  commenced  his  experi- 
ments. The  composition  which 
had  been  used  by  the  German 
potters  from  whom  he  bought 
the  works  was  the  English  bone 
body,  which  was  abandoned  by 
Mr.  Smith  in  1864,  when  he 
introduced  the  hard  kaolinic  body,  which  has  since  been 
made  exclusively  to  the  present  time.  An  example  of 
translucent  bone  porcelain,  made  in  the  latter  year,  is  a 
beer  mug  with  embossed  figures  of  Bacchus,  surrounded  by 
vine-leaves,  shown  in  Illustration  112.  The  earlier  experi- 
ments made  by  Mr.  Smith  were  attended  with  only  partial 
success,  but  in  1865  he  perfected  a  plain  white  ware  for 


112. — Bone-China  Mug, 
Raised  Decorations.  Union 
Porcelain  Works,  1864. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  market,  and  a  year  afterward  he  commenced  to  deco- 
rate his  goods.  But  here  he  was  met  with  the  difficulty 
of  finding  underglaze  colors  which  would  stand  the  intense 
heat  of  the  sharp  fire  necessary  to  vitrify  the  ware.  So 
far  as  we  have  any  knowledge,  Mr.  Smith  was  the  first 
potter  in  America  to  apply  the  underglaze  method  of 
decoration  to  hard  porcelain,  for  it  has  already  been  seen 
that  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Hemphill,  in  Philadelphia,  used 
only  overglaze  colors  from  1825  to  1838,  during  the  exist- 
ence of  their  porcelain  factory.  The  Greenpoint  works, 
however,  have  of  late  years  used  the  overglaze  method 
also,  in  order  to  obtain  a  greater  variety  of  coloring  in 
the  production  of  decorative  art  pieces. 

The  late  Karl  M  tiller,  a  talented  German  sculptor 
and  artist,  who  was  educated  in  Paris,  was  employed  for 
several  years  at  the  Greenpoint  works  as  chief  designer 
and  modeller.  Just  previous  to  the  Centennial  Exhibi- 
tion, Mr.  Miiller  designed  a  number  of  vases  and  other 
pieces  which  exhibit  a  marked  originality  in  conception 
and  a  high  degree  of  excellence  in  execution.  Of  these 
we  may  mention  the  Century  vase,  in  which  appears  a 
relief  portrait  of  Washington  against  a  mat  blue  ground, 
panels  around  the  base  representing,  in  white  relief,  an 
Indian,  the  Tea  Scene  in  Boston  Harbor,  a  Revolutionary 
Soldier,  and  other  historical  subjects.  The  handles  of 
the  vase  represent  the  head  of  the  American  bison.  A 
second  vase  is  designed  to  illustrate  Longfellow's  poem, 
"  Keramos,"  with  raised  designs  commemorating  the  his- 
tory of  the  ceramic  art  from  the  most  remote  ages.  Two 
busts  in  a  buff  body  represent  Edwin  Forrest  as  William 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  255 


Tell  (111.  116),  and  Charlotte  Cushman  as  Meg  M err  Hies  > 
modelled  by  Mr.  M uller  from  photographs.  A  series  of 
statuettes,  pitchers,  and  busts  of  prominent  Americans, 
in  porcelain  biscuit,  reveal  the  highest  art  of  the  sculp- 
tor. A  Poet's  pitcher,  in  biscuit,  designed  by  Mr.  Mtiller, 
is  among  the  most  highly  artistic  works  produced  at 
this  factory.  It  is  of  graceful  form,  embellished  with 
relief  portraits  of  prominent  poets  of  ancient  and 
modern  times.  The 
"  Liberty  cup  "  is  beau- 
tifully modelled,  with 
embossed  figures  of 
Mercury  and  Justice, 
surrounded  by  the  corn 
plant  of  the  North  and 
the  tobacco  plant  of  the 
South,  with  handle  rep- 
resenting the  Goddess 
of  Liberty  standing  on 
an  eagle  with  outspread 
wings.  It  is  finished  in 
mat  gold  traced  with 
color  (111.  1 1 3). 

Among  the  artists  engaged  in  decorating  the  Green- 
point  porcelain,  Mr.  J.  M.  Falconer  of  Brooklyn  has  been 
one  of  the  most  prominent.  Some  of  his  paintings  on 
plates  and  plaques  exhibit  a  high  degree  of  artistic  merit, 
as  in  some  views  of  Centennial  buildings,  and  a  number 
of  ideal  designs,  in  which  the  coloring  is  chaste  and  the 
execution  admirable. 


113. — The  Liberty  Cup,      Modelled  by 
Muller.   Union  Porcelain  Works. 


256         PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CELAIN. 


The  manufacture  of  hard  porcelain  tiles  has  become 
an  important  branch  of  the  business  of  this  factory. 
These  tiles  are  made  both  thick  and  thin,  in  underglaze 
decoration,  and  are  claimed  to  be  the  only  tiles  made  in 
this  country  which  will  endure  the  heat  of  a  hearth  fire. 


114. — Greenpoint  Porcelain  Vase,  in  Embossed  Gold  and  Jewel  Work. 

Grotesque  Lizards  in  Mat  Gold. 

They  are  decorated  with  figures  of  griffins  and  other  fancy 
designs.  The  overglaze  method  has  also  been  applied  to 
tiles  for  mantel  facings  and  wainscoting,  and  on  the  walls 
of  the  private  office  of  the  establishment  may  be  seen  a 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859   TO  1876.  257 


series  of  large  tile  panels  embellished  with  paintings 
representing  the  ancient  ceramic  processes  of  Egypt,  as 
depicted  on  the  pyramids. 

In  table  services  the  most  noteworthy  are  those  dec- 
orated in  overglaze  colors  and  white  enamelled  designs. 
A  handsome  dinner  set  in  underglaze  blue  outlined  with 
gold,  is  one  of  the  latest  achievements  of  this  factory. 


115. — Tete-a-Tete  Set.    Union  Porcelain  Works. 


The  composition  of  the  paste  varies  according  to  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  is  to  be  used.  For  the  manufacture  of 
hardware  trimmings,  which  form  an  important  part  of  the 
products  of  these  works,  a  larger  proportion  of  kaolin  is 

introduced. 

17 


258 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  C EL  A IN. 


The  porcelain  made  here  is  composed  in  body  of  kao- 
lin, quartz,  and  feldspar.  It  is  fired  in  biscuit  at  a  low 
temperature,  in  the  second  story  of  the  porcelain  kiln, 
using  for  its  baking  the  surplus  heat  passing  away  after 
having  done  its  greater  work  in  the  first  story  or  glost  kiln 
where  the  glazing  is  done.    At  this  first  burning  the  ware 


116. — Bust  of  Edwin  Forrest  as  William  Tell. 
Union  Forcelain  Works. 


receives  only  sufficient  fire  to  make  it  properly  fasten 
together  in  form.  It  is  quite  fragile,  easily  broken  with 
the  fingers,  and  porous,  not  having  yet  had  sufficient  heat 
to  commence  vitrification.     In  this  condition  it  is  what  is 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  259 

termed  porcelain  biscuit,  and  is  ready  for  the  glaze-tub. 
The  glaze  of  porcelain  is  composed  of  the  same  materials 
as  the  body,  and  so  compounded  that  those  elements 
which  are  soonest  fluxed  by  the  influence  of  the  heat  are 
in  greater  proportion  than  they  are  contained  in  the  body. 
The  porous,  low-fired  biscuit  is  dipped  into  a  liquid  pud- 
dle of  glaze.  Upon  being  withdrawn  its  porosity  quickly 
absorbs  the  excess  of  water,  leaving  a  dry  coating  of  the 
glaze  compound,  which  has  held  the  water  in  suspension, 
upon  the  surface  of  the  piece.  This  piece  of  porous 
biscuit  covered  with  glaze  is  now  cleaned  of  glaze  upon 
its  foot,  or  that  part  upon  which  it  rests,  to  prevent  its 
sticking  or  burning  fast  to  the  clay  sagger  or  firing  case  ; 
otherwise  the  glaze  on  the  bearing  parts  would,  at  the 
time  of  flowing,  form  a  cement,  fastening  the  piece  and 
the  sagger  together.  The  pieces  are  placed  separately  in 
the  saggers.  The  heat  in  firing  hard  porcelain  is  carried 
to  such  a  high  degree  that  the  ware  touches  the  point  of 
pliability,  almost  the  melting-point.  At  this  great  heat 
the  body  is  vitrified  ;  at  the  same  time  the  glaze,  from  its 
slightly  softer  composition,  is  melted  into  the  body  of  the 
ware,  producing  a  hard,  vitreous,  and  homogeneous  mate- 
rial properly  known  as  true,  hard  porcelain.  This  is  the 
process  used  at  Sevres,  Meissen,  Berlin,  and  elsewhere. 

THE   MOORHEAD   CLAY  WORKS. 


These  works  were  established  at  Spring  Mills,  Mont- 
gomery Co.,  Pa.,  in  1866,  by  Messrs  A.  S.  Moorhead  and 
Wm.   L.   Wilson,   and  three  years  later  were  entirely 


2 6o         PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 


destroyed  by  fire.  New  works  were  at  once  built  on  the 
same  site,  of  much  greater  capacity.  The  products  of 
these  works  are  terra-cotta  sewer  pipes,  ornamental  chim- 
ney tops,  drain  tile,  pipe  flues,  fire-brick  and  tiles,  garden 
edging  and  border  tile,  flower-pots,  terra-cotta  window 
boxes,  hanging  vases,  jardinieres,  garden  vases,  pedestals 
and  statuary,  rustic  ornaments,  fountains,  aquarium  orna- 
ments, and  terra-cotta  shapes  for  decorators. 

THE   CHELSEA   KERAMIC  ART  WORKS. 

Mr.  Alexander  William  Robertson  started  a  small  pot- 
tery in  Chelsea,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1866,  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  brown  ware  such  as  was  made  in  Great  Britain, 
and  of  lava  ware  similar  to  that  of  Germany.  Two  years 
afterwards  Mr.  Hugh  Cornwall  Robertson,  a  younger 
brother,  who  had  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  Jersey 
City  Pottery  in  i860,  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the 
business,  the  firm  name  becoming  A.  W.  &  H.  C.  Robert- 
son, when  the  production  of  brown  ware  was  discontinued 
and  the  manufacture  of  plain  and  fancy  flower-pots  was 
substituted.  In  the  following  year  porous  cones  or  filters 
were  made  for  chemical  purposes.  In  1872  James  Robert- 
son, a  practical  potter  of  wide  and  varied  experience  in 
Scotland,  England,  New  Jersey,  and  New  York,  and 
recently  from  the  East  Boston  pottery,  joined  his  sons, 
the  firm  style  being  changed  to  James  Robertson  &  Sons, 
when  work  of  a  more  pretentious  character  was  under- 
taken. A  red  bisque  ware,  in  imitation  of  the  antique 
Grecian  terra-cottas  and  Pompeiian  bronzes  was  first  pro- 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  261 


duced  in  1875.  The  factory  adopted  the  name  of  the 
Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Works.  The  red  ware  was  charac- 
terized by  a  remarkably  fine  texture  and  smooth  finish, 
the  clay  being  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  faithful  reproduc- 
tion of  the  graceful  classic  forms,  the  fine  polished  grain 
offering  an  excellent  surface  for  the  most  minute  carving, 
showing  the  engraved  lines  as  perfectly  as  on  wood. 
Some  of  the  vases  were 
decorated  with  red  figures 
on  a  black  ground,  in  the 
ancient  Greek  style, 
modelled  after  pieces  in  the 
Englefield  collection.  Of 
these  the  amphora,  lecythus, 
cenochce,  stamnos,  and 
krater  were  favorite  forms. 
The  ornamentation  of  this 
class  of  ware  is  the  natural 
red  clay,  the  black  having 
been  worked  on  with  the 
brush  around  the  designs. 
The  process  of  polishing 
the  surface  completed  the  resemblance  to  the  antique. 
One  of  the  finest  of  these  reproductions  is  a  large  vase, 
thirteen  and  a  half  inches  high,  in  the  Boston  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts.  It  is  the  early  work  of  Mr.  John  G.  Low 
of  Chelsea  (111.  1 17). 

On  thirteen  vases  of  fine  red  body,  Mr.  Franz  Xavier 
Dengler,  the  talented  young  sculptor,  who  afterwards  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  modelled  from  life,  in  high  relief, 


262  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


choosing  child  and  bird  forms.  One  of  these,  in  the  Bos- 
ton Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  is  shown  in  Illustration  119.  It 
is  a  vase  fifteen  inches  in  height,  of  compact,  red  clay. 
The  firm  also  received  the  benefit  of  advice  from  a 
number  of  capable  artists,  including  John  G.  Low,  G.  W. 
Fenety,  and  others.  For  lack  of  public  support,  however, 
this  branch  of  the  art  was  soon  abandoned.  The  next 
venture  was  the  Chelsea  faience,  introduced  in  1877,  which 


118. — Chelsea  FaIence.    Barber  Collection. 

is  characterized  by  a  beautiful  soft  glaze.  This  ware  soon 
attracted  the  attention  of  connoisseurs,  and  carried  the  firm 
to  the  front  rank  of  American  potters.  The  decoration 
consists  of  floral  designs,  either  made  separately  by  hand 
and  sprigged  on,  or  carved  in  relief  from  clay  laid  directly 
on  the  surface  while  moist. 

A  number  of  plaques  about  ten  inches  in  diameter 
were  modelled  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Robertson,  either  engraved 
or  carved  in  high  relief,  some  of  the  latter  being  modelled 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  263 


after  Dore's  illustrations  of  La  Fontaine's  Fables,  such  as 
"The  Wolf  Turned  Shepherd,"  etc.  They  were  made  of 
a  stone  body,  and  generally  covered  with  a  quiet  blue  or 
gray  glaze. 

Some  novel  effects  were 
produced  by  hammering 
the  exterior  of  vases  before 
burning,  and  afterward 
carving  sprays  of  flowers 
in  relief  and  applying  them 
to  the  indented  surface. 
The  modelling  was  ex- 
ecuted by  Miss  Josephine 
Day,  a  sister-in-law  and 
pupil  of  Mr.  H.  C.  Robert- 
son, and  by  Mr.  Robertson 
himself.  Being  done  by 
hand,  from  original  de- 
signs, no  duplicates  were 
produced.  On  some  of  the 
hammered  pieces,  the  de- 
signs were  cut  into  the 
surface  and  filled  in  with 
white  clay,  forming  a  mo- 
saic, the  bases  of  the  ves- 
sels being  colored  buff, 
which  formed  a  pleasing 
contrast  beneath  a  semi-transparent  glaze.  About  the 
same  time  a  variety  of  faience,  known  as  the  Bourg-la- 
Reine  of  Chelsea,  was  produced  by  the  process  of  paint- 


119. — A  "  Dengler  "  Vase,  Red  Ware, 
Modelled  Designs.   Boston  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts. 


264         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


ing  on  the  surface  of  the  vessel  with  colored  clays  and 
covering  with  a  transparent  glaze,  on  the  principle  of  the 
Limoges  faience. 

Mr.  James  Robertson  died  in  1880,  after  a  long  and 
useful  life,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy  years.  The  firm 
continued  under  the  same  name,  and  in  1884  A.  W. 
Robertson  retired  from  the  business.  In  that  year  the 
remaining  partner,  Mr.  Hugh  C.  Robertson,  commenced 


120. — Inlaid,  Hammered,  and  Embossed  Pottery. 
Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Works. 


to  make  a  stoneware  somewhat  resembling  parian  in 
appearance,  possessing  a  hard,  vitrified  body,  which  he 
worked  into  a  variety  of  artistic  forms. 

From  this  time  Mr.  Robertson  directed  his  efforts 
toward  solving  the  secret  of  the  famous  Chinese  Sang  de 
bceuf,  and  after  four  years  of  sacrifice  and  patient  inves- 
tigation his  labors  were  in  a  measure  successful.  He 
believes  he  has  discovered  the  exact  treatment  necessary 
to  produce  the  true  ox-blood  red,  which  with  the  Chinese 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  265 


was  the  result  of  accident  rather  than  an  established  art. 
The  body  is  the  true  stone,  perfectly  waterproof,  and  ca- 
pable of  resisting  as  high  a  degree  of  heat  as  any  ware. 
The  forms  of  the  vases  are  simple,  with  curving  outlines, 
and  entirely  devoid  of  ornamentation  which  would  tend  to 
impair  the  beauty  of  color,  which  is  that  of  fresh  arterial 
blood,  possessing  a  gold- 
en lustre,  which  in  the 
light  glistens  with  all  the 
varying  hues  of  a  sunset 
sky.  In  experimenting 
to  obtain  the  blood-red 
of  the  Sang  dc  bceuf, 
varieties  were  produced 
of  a  deep  sea-green, 
''peach-blow,"  apple- 
green,  mustard-yellow, 
greenish  blue,  maroon, 
and  rich  purple,  the  glaze 
being  hard,  brilliant,  and 
deep.  Examples  of  this 
ware  now  grace  the  cabi- 

nets  of  a  number  of  col-      121. -Crackle  Vase.    Boston  Museum 

of  Fine  Arts. 

lectors    in   the  United 

States,  of  which  Mrs.  F.  S.  Thomas,  of  New  York,  pur- 
chased four  of  the  finest.  Only  three  hundred  pieces  of 
the  Sang  de  Chelsea  were  made,  but  the  demand  for 
works  of  this  character  being  limited,  some  of  the  finest 
examples  still  rest  on  the  dusty  shelves  in  the  Chelsea 
workshop. 


2  66  PO  TTER  J r  A ND  POP  CELA  IN. 


Imitations  of  the  Japanese  crackle  ware  were  also  pro- 
duced, and  a  specimen  of  this  class,  in  the  Boston  Museum 
of  Fine  Arts,  which  is  of  a  gray  color,  with  blue  under- 
glaze  decoration,  compares  very  favorably  with  Oriental 


122. — Plaque  Representing  "String."    Designed  by  II.  C.  Robertson,  1S79. 


examples.  This  was  executed  by  Mr.  Hugh  C.  Robert- 
son (Illustration  121). 

In  the  collection  of  Dr.  Marcus  Benjamin  of  New 
York  City  is  a  pilgrim  vase  decorated  after  a  drawing  by 
Mr.  James  E.  Kelly  of  New  York,  which  originally  ap- 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  267 


peared  in  the  old  Scribners  Monthly  Magazine  of  May, 
1878,  the  subject  being  the  old-time  post  boy,  mounted 
on  a  horse  and  heralding  his  approach  to  the  village  by 
blowing  his  trumpet,  which  afterwards  developed  into 
Kelly's  statuette  of  Sheridan  (see  Cyclopedia  of  American 
Biography, — Sheridan).  The  figures  were  modelled  by 
Mr.  Hugh  C.  Robertson  in  low  relief,  to  which  an  effective 
glaze  adds  depth  and  distance.  They  were  worked  in 
white  clay  and  laid  on  the  yellow  body  of  the  vase  and 
then  covered  with  a  single  glaze,  producing  the  effect  of 
a  grayish-blue  design  against  a  yellowish-olive  or  mouse- 
colored  ground.    Only  five  or  six  copies  were  produced. 

After  more  than  twenty  years  of  devotion  to  his  art, 
Mr.  Robertson  was  compelled  to  close  his  factory  in  1888 
for  lack  of  means  to  carry  his  work  further.  A  company, 
however,  was  incorporated  on  July  17,  1891,  under  the 
title  "Chelsea  Pottery,  U.  S.,"  of  which  Mr.  Hugh  C. 
Robertson  was  appointed  manager.  Here,  with  increased 
facilities  at  his  command,  Mr.  Robertson  will  devote  him- 
self to  the  further  development  of  American  ceramic  art. 

POTTERY   AT   PHCENIXVILLE,  PA. 

The  Phcenixville  Pottery,  Kaolin,  and  Fire-brick  Com- 
pany was  organized  in  1867,  and  a  few  years  later  was 
succeeded  by  Messrs  Schreiber  &  Co.,  who  made  yellow 
and  Rockingham  ware,  and  terra-cotta  ornaments  and 
wall-pieces.  Heads  of  hounds  and  stags  in  several  sizes, 
and  large  boar's  heads,  were  made  extensively  here,  and 
twenty  years  ago  were  in  demand  for  decorating  the  in- 


268  PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 


teriors  of  public-houses.  Some  of  these  may  still  be  seen 
in  country  taverns.  These  were  considered  works  of  con- 
siderable artistic  merit  when  first  produced.  The  antlers 
and  horns  of  stags  and  antelopes  were  made  separately 
and  afterwards  inserted.  Messrs.  Beerbower  &  Griffon 
took  the  pottery  in  1877  and  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  white  granite  ware.  In  1879  tne  ^rm  name  was  changed 
to  Griffen,  Smith,   &   Hill,  and   in   the  following  year 

the  manufacture  of 
"  Etruscan  "  majolica 
was  added.  Through 
their  majolica  ware 
the  firm  became  widely 
known.  The  model- 
ling of  some  of  the 
pieces,  such  as  com- 
poticres  with  supports 
composed  of  three  in- 
tertwined dolphins, 

123. — Terra-Cotta    Boar's    Head.     Phcenix-  1 

ville  Pottery.    Barber  Collection,         boudoir  flower-shells 

Pennsylvania  Museum.  .       ■,  , 

or    jewel    cups,  and 

other  fancy  shapes,  was  refined  and  artistic,  the  designer 

being  an  English  artist  of  the  name  of  Bourne.    Some  of 

these  designs  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  Irish 

Belleek  ware,  not  only  in  conception  but  in  the  extreme 

thinness  of  the  body  and  the  tinted  nacreous  glazes  which 

cover  them.     Coral,  sea-weed  (Fucus),  and  marine  shells 

were  closely  imitated  and  their  commercial  majolica  for 

table  purposes  was  largely  made  in  leaf  forms  from  moulds 

taken  from  the  natural  objects.    The  impressed  mark 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  269 


used  on  this  ware  was  a  monogram  composed  of  the  initials 
of  the  firm  (G.  S.  H.),  sometimes  surrounded  by  a  cir- 
cular band  containing  the  words  "  Etruscan  Majolica." 
These  marks  continued  to  be  used  after  the  retirement  of 
Mr.  Hill,  when  the  style  became  Griffen,  Smith,  &  Co. 
From  1880  to  1890  the  factory  produced  a  good  grade  of 
white  and  decorated  ware,  mostly  in  table  services  and 
toilet  sets.  In  1890  a  large  portion  of  the  works  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  and  the  manufacture  of  majolica  was  dis- 


124. — Majolica.    Phcenixville  Pottery. 


continued.  Mr.  Smith  withdrew  from  the  firm  in  1889 
and  erected  levigating  mills  at  Toughkenamon,  Pa.,  near 
which  place  are  large  beds  of  kaolin.  The  firm  style  was 
then  changed  to  Griffen,  Love,  &  Co. 

As  early  as  1882  experiments  were  commenced  in  the 
manufacture  of  hard  porcelain,  and  a  series  of  sample 
pieces  were  made  for  the  New  Orleans  Exhibition.  The 
quality  and  designs  of  these  trial  pieces  were  creditable, 
and  the  experiment  proved  that  this  factory  was  capable 


270 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


of  producing  true  porcelain  of  a  high  order.  One  of  the 
New  Orleans  pieces,  a  pitcher  of  thin  semi-transparent 
body,  was  also  made  of  white  earthenware,  glazed  and 
gilded,  the  latter  of  which  is  reproduced  in  111.  125.  It  is 
in  the  shape  of  a  canteen,  the  mouth  representing  the  head 

of  a  Continental  soldier. 
The  raised  designs  are 
flesh-colored,  on  a  solid  gold 
ground.  The  three-cor- 
nered hat  is  black.  Mr. 
Scott  Callowhill,  an  English 
artist,  was  employed  for  a 
while  in  modelling  and  paint- 
ing, but  left  to  accept  a  posi- 
125.— white-Ware  Pitcher.         tion  with  the  Providential 

PHa.Nixvn.LE,  Pa.  ^  Works  q{  TrQntQn 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1891  a  change  was  made 
in  the  proprietorship,  and  a  new  company  incorporated, 
under  the  title  of  the  GrifTen  China  Company,  for  manu- 
facturing fine  translucent  French  china  in  plain  white 
table  services. 

In  1892  these  works  were  permanently  closed. 

THE   HAMPSHIRE  POTTERY. 

Some  original  work  of  a  high  character  is  now  being 
done  at  the  Hampshire  Pottery  of  Messrs.  J.  S.  Taft  & 
Co.,  Keene,  N.  H.  This  pottery  was  started  in  1871  for 
the  manufacture  of  red  ware,  and  afterwards  stoneware. 
At  a  later  date  majolica  was  made  quite  extensively. 


POTTERIES  FROM  1859  TO  1876.  271 

Recently  the  firm  has  been  paying  particular  attention  to 
art  specialties,  in  new  and  graceful  shapes  and  novel  deco- 
rations, such  as  fancy  baskets,  jugs,  cracker  jars,  and  cus- 
pidors, comb  and  brush  trays,  bon-bon  boxes,  rose  bowls, 
tea  sets,  and  umbrella  stands.  The  ware  is  a  white,  opaque 
body,  covered  with  a  variety  of  effective  glazes.  I  have 
seen  at  Niagara  and  other  summer  resorts  pieces  of  Keene 
pottery  with  local  views  printed  upon  the  surface  for  sale 
to  tourists  as  souvenirs. 

One  of  the  best  designs  produced  by  these  works  is 
the  "  Witch  Jug,"  of  a  graceful  form  and  ivory  tint.  On 
one  side  is  painted,  in  ap- 
propriate colors,  a  witch, 
with  broom  in  hand,  in  pur- 
suit of  bats,  against  a 
ground  of  clouds.  On  the 
opposite  side  are  three 
witch  pins  in  black,  and  the 
lettering  "  Salem,  1692,"  in 
gold.  The  handle,  foot,  and 
border  of  lip  are  gilded. 
This  souvenir  jug  was  made 
especially  for  Mr.  Daniel 
Low,  silversmith,  of  Salem, 
Mass.,  to  commemorate  the  witchcraft  delusion  which 
obtained  in  that  place  two  hundred  years  ago,  the  sale 
being  entirely  controlled  by  him. 

About  forty  hands  are  employed  at  the  Hampshire 
Pottery,  nearly  half  the  number  being  engaged  in  deco- 
rating. 


126. — The  Witch  Jug.  Hampshire 
Pottery.    J.  S.  Taft  &  Co., 
Keene,  N.  H. 


272         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

TERRA-COTTA  WORKS,  PHILADELPHIA. 

Messrs.  Galloway  &  Graff  displayed  at  the  Centennial 
terra-cotta  statuary,  tazzas,  and  vases  in  Greek  shapes  for 
decorators,  pedestals,  fountains,  flower-pots,  and  garden 
edging. 

Messrs.  Harvey,  Moland,  &  Co.,  successors  to  Wm. 
K.  Black,  are  large  producers  of  garden  vases,  statuary, 
sewer  pipe,  and  drain  tile. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


CINCINNATI. 

AMONG  the  first  potteries  of  Cincinnati  was  one  which 
was  in  operation  for  some  time  previous  to  the 
middle  of  the  present  century,  owned  by  a  family 
of  the  name  of  Kendall,  father  and  sons,  who  were 
remarkable  for  their  great  stature,  being  over  six  feet 
in  height.  This  pottery  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  in 
that  city  to  produce  a  fine  grade  of  stoneware,  yellow,  and 
Rockingham.  About  the  year  1850  the  Kendalls  gave  up 
business  and  went  farther  west. 

William  Bromley,  originally  from  Stoke-upon-Trent, 
England,  went  to  Cincinnati  about  1842  and  successfully 
operated  a  pottery  there  for  several  years.  At  one  time 
the  ware  in  one  of  his  kilns  met  with  a  singular  mishap  in 
the  process  of  firing,  which  caused  it  to  assume  such  a 
novel  appearance  that  it  was  sold  at  very  high  prices. 
There  was  considerable  demand  for  more  of  the  same 
character,  which  of  course  could  not  be  furnished,  because 
Mr.  Bromley  did  not  know  how  the  freak  occurred,  and 
his  excuse  to  those  who  desired  it  was  that  he  could  not 
supply  it  because  it  was  too  costly  to  make.     He  died  about 

twenty  years  ago. 

18  273 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


George  Scott,  of  Staffordshire,  England,  came  to  this 
country  about  1846,  and  shortly  after  settled  in  Cincinnati, 
where  for  some  time  he  sold  goods  for  William  Bromley. 
It  is  said  that,  after  saving  some  money,  he  imported  a 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  queensware  from  England, 
which  he  disposed  of  advantageously  and  with  the  pro- 
ceeds purchased  an  old  tavern  on  Front  Street,  and 
changed  it  into  a  pottery.  With  the  able  assistance  of 
his  wife,  who  was  as  capable  a  potter  as  he,  a  business 
was  established  which  soon  yielded  him  a  competency,  and 
after  his  death  some  years  ago  the  firm's  name  was  changed 
to  George  Scott's  Sons,  under  which  style  the  business  is 
now  carried  on.  This  consists  of  the  manufacture  of  a 
high  grade  of  white  granite,  cream-colored,  decorated,  and 
printed  table  and  toilet  wares. 

The  Hamilton  Road  Pottery  was  founded  by  Messrs. 
M.  and  N.  Tempest,  and  in  1865  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Frederick  Dallas,  who  continued  the  business  until  his 
death  a  few  years  ago.  Here  were  made  stone  china  and 
the  commoner  wares.  Some  of  the  earliest  experiments 
of  the  ladies  of  Cincinnati  were  conducted  at  these  works, 
as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  which  marked  the  first  step  in 
the  development  of  the  industry  in  that  city. 

Messrs.  Tempest,  Brockmann,  &  Co.  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  common  ware  in  Cincinnati  in  1862,  and 
five  years  later  first  produced  white  ware.  In  1881  a 
stock  company  was  organized,  under  the  title  of  The 
Tempest,  Brockmann,  &  Sampson  Pottery  Co.,  and  so 
continued  until  1887,  when  Mr.  C.  E.  Brockmann,  the 
only  surviving  member  of  the  original  firm,  bought  the 


CINCINNA  TL 


275 


entire  business,  and  has  since  conducted  it  under  the  name 
of  The  Brockmann  Pottery  Co.  The  works  cover  an  acre 
of  ground,  and  are  about  to  be  further  enlarged.  The 
products  of  this  factory  embrace  cream-colored,  white 
granite,  and  decorated  wares. 


WOMAN'S  WORK  IN  CINCINNATI. 


The  decorative  pottery  movement  which  has  made 
Cincinnati  celebrated  as  a  ceramic  art  centre  may  be  said 
to  have  had  its  inception  in  1875,  when  Mr.  Benn  Pitman, 
of  the  Cincinnati  School  of  Design,  procured  from  the 
east  some  overglaze  colors  and  invited  a  few  of  the  ladies 
of  that  city,  who  were  interested  in  the  subject,  to  meet 
at  his  offices  in  the  Carlisle  Building  to  talk  over  the 
matter  of  forming  a  class  to  receive  instructions  in  china 
painting.  It  was  in  these  rooms  that  the  first  experiments 
in  porcelain  decoration  were  made,  under  the  direction  of 
a  young  German  lady,  Miss  Eggers,  who  had  previously 
acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  art  at  Dresden.  Follow- 
ing closely  on  these  somewhat  imperfectly  successful 
efforts  came  a  "  Centennial  Tea  Party,"  held  by  the 
"  Women's  Centennial  Executive  Committee,  of  Cincin- 
nati," for  the  benefit  of  the  Mount  Vernon  fund.  The 
pieces  of  china,  which  had  been  painted  by  the  ladies 
especially  for  this  occasion,  were  placed  on  exhibition  and 
afterwards  sold  by  auction.  Good  prices  were  realized, 
the  highest  being  twenty-five  dollars  for  a  cup  and  saucer. 
This  event  marked  the  first  step  in  the  progress  of  the 
ceramic  art  in  Cincinnati.    In  the  same  year,  Miss  M. 


276 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Louise  McLaughlin  painted  some  white  porcelain  plates 
in  blue  underglaze  designs,  which  were  sent  to  Messrs. 
Thomas  C.  Smith  &  Son,  proprietors  of  the  Union  Porce- 
lain works  at  Greenpoint,  Long  Island,  by  whom  they 
were  fired,  and  one  of  these  first  attempts  is  preserved  in 
the  Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art. 

During  the  Centennial  Exposition,  in  the  following 
year,  Miss  McLaughlin  was  particularly  impressed  with 
the  exhibit  of  the  then  novel  Limoges  faience,  and  on 
her  return  home  she  determined  to  discover,  if  possible, 
the  method  of  its  decoration.  Her  first  experiments 
were  attempted  in  the  fall  of  1877,  after  having  procured 
colors  from  Paris,  at  the  pottery  of  Messrs.  P.  L.  Coultry 
&  Co.,  where  common  yellow  ware  was  made.  These 
experiments  were  conducted  under  great  disadvantages 
on  account  of  the  limited  facilities  at  command.  The 
first  piece  taken  from  the  kiln,  in  September,  1877, 
demonstrated  the  practicability  of  the  process.  In  May 
following  some  pieces  were  shown  at  a  local  loan  exhibi- 
tion, and  others  were  exhibited  in  New  York  in  October. 
Pieces  were  also  exhibited  at  the  Exposition  Universelle 
at  Paris  in  1879,  an<^  received  honorable  mention. 

The  success  attained  by  Miss  McLaughlin  stimulated 
other  ladies  to  renewed  efforts  in  the  same  direction,  and 
soon  a  little  colony  of  workers  had  sprung  up  in  the 
Queen  City.  In  April  of  1879,  Miss  McLaughlin  gath- 
ered around  her  a  number  of  ladies  who  were  interested 
in  decorative  art,  and  the  Pottery  Club,  which  afterwards 
became  an  important  factor  in  the  development  of  the 
ceramic  art  industry  in  Cincinnati,  was  organized,  with 


C INC  INN  A  TI. 


277 


Miss  McLaughlin,  president,  Miss  Clara  Chipman  New- 
ton, secretary,  and  Miss  Alice  Belle  Holabird,  treasurer. 
This  was  probably  the  first  club  of  women,  organized  for 
such  a  purpose,  in  the  United  States.  In  addition  to 
those  already  named,  the  following  ladies  constituted  the 


127. — Vases  by  Mrs.  Maria  L.  Nichols,  1880. 

original  membership  :  Mrs.  C.  A.  Plimpton,  Mrs.  E.  G. 
Leonard,  Miss  Mary  Spencer,  Miss  Agnes  Pitman,  Mrs. 
Frank  R.  Ellis,  Mrs.  Wm.  Dodd,  Miss  Clara  Fletcher, 
Mrs.  George  Dominick,  and  Miss  Laura  A.  Fry.  Later 


278  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA IN. 


the  number  was  increased  to  fifteen,  and  finally  to  twenty. 
A  room  was  rented  in  the  pottery  owned  by  Mr.  Fred- 
erick Dallas,  on  Hamil- 
ton Road,  where  white 
and  cream-colored 
wares  were  produced. 
Two  kilns  for  firing 
underglaze  and  over- 
glaze  ware  were  erected 
here,  the  cost  being 
defrayed  by  Miss  Mc- 
Laughlin and  Mrs. 
Maria  Longworth 
Nichols.  Experiments 
were  prosecuted  with 
greater  vigor,  and  rapid 
improvement  in 
methods  was  made, 
through  the  intelligent 
co-operation  of  Mr. 
Dallas  and  his  fore- 
man, Mr.  Joseph  Bailey, 
now  superintendent  of 
the  Rookwood  Pottery. 
Mrs.  Nichols  and  other 
ladies,  not  members  of 
the  Pottery  Club, 
worked  in  another  part  of  the  building  which  had 
been  erected  by  the  mother  of  Anthony  Trollope  for 
her  country-house  during   her  residence  in  Cincinnati. 


128. — Porcelain  Vase,  Underglaze  Decora 
tion.    By  Mrs.  M.  L.  Nichols,  1878. 
Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art. 


279 


Various  styles  of  work  were  attempted  here  during  1879 
and  1880. 

— ,  ■ ...         -  ■■  •  1 1  iiiiyhMiil—m   """ — :  r^aBHHHHHKtKt-  r ~;     •  - 


129. — "  Ali  Baba"  Vase,  Underglaze  Decoration.    Miss  M.  L.  McLaughlin, 

1880.    Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art. 

Among  Mrs.  Nichols'  best  pieces  of  this  period  are 
three  vases,  shown  in  Illustration  127,  the  largest  being 


1 


28o  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


thirty-two  inches  in  height,  in  bold  relief  and  underglaze 
color.  Possessed  of  rare  and  versatile  talent,  she  has 
since  produced  a  great  variety  of  pieces,  original  in  con- 
ception, artistic  in  treatment,  and  bold  in  execution. 


130. — White  Clay  Vase,  Underglaze  Decoration. 
Miss  Clara  Chipman  Newton,  1880. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Miss  McLaughlin  the  Limo- 
ges, or  pate-sur-pate,  method  of  painting  the  surfaces  of 
unbaked  pieces  with  colored  slips  was  employed  with 


C INC  INN  A  TL 


281 


gratifying  results.  One  of  the  finest  of  her  pieces 
finished  during  this  period  is  the  "  Ali  Baba "  vase, 
thirty-eight  inches  in  height,  which  is  made  of  red  clay, 
decorated  under  the  transparent  glaze  with  colors  mixed 
with  white  clay  (111.  129).  The  design  is  the  Chinese 
Hibiscus,  in  dull  red 
and  yellow  on  a 
delicate  sage-green 
ground,  daintily 
blending  to  a  green- 
ish white.  Three  of 
these  vases  were 
made  from  the  mould, 
one  of  which  is  now 
in  the  Cincinnati 
Museum. 

Other  members 
of  the  club,  of  whom 
Miss  Clara  Chipman 
Newton  was  one  of 
the  foremost,  direct- 
ed   their  attention 

more   particularly  to  131.— Moorish  Vase,  Inlaid  Decoration.  Mrs. 

.     •  T      1  .         C.  A.  Plimpton.    Cincinnati  Art  Museum. 

painting  on  the  bis- 
cuit in  cobalt  blue  and  other  colors,  and  achieved  a  marked 
success.  An  example  of  this  style,  the  work  of  Miss 
Newton,  is  here  figured  (111.  130).  It  is  a  vase  of  white 
clay  body,  twenty-one  inches  high,  with  arabesque  design 
painted  under  the  glaze,  and  finished  with  intersecting 
gilt  lines  and  gold  bands  at  top  and  bottom,  above  the 


282 


PO  T  TER  Y  A  ND  POP  CEL  A  IN. 


glaze.  This  was  produced  in  1880,  at  the  Hamilton 
Road  Pottery,  the  coloring  being  a  dark,  rich  blue,  clean 
cut  and  sharp,  without  any  trace  of  flowing. 

Some  of  the  most 
original  work  was 
produced  by  Mrs.  C. 
A.  Plimpton,  whose 
individuality  of  style 
was  marked  not  only 
in  the  fine  effects 
obtained  in  slip-dec- 
oration by  the  use  of 
natural  colored  clays, 
ranging  from  white 
through  yellow  and 
red  to  dark  brown, 
but  in  the  forms  of 
vessels  which  she  de- 
signed. Her  incised 
ornamentation,  i  ri 
which  the  designs 
were  carved  in  the 
green  clay,  and  her 
inlaid  work  of  con- 
trasting clays,  are  full 
of  interest.  A  little 
vase  in  the  Cincinnati  Art  Museum  is  a  good  illustration 
of  the  latter  style,  and  the  first  piece  of  its  kind.  It  is 
decorated  with  storks,  in  native  clays, — white  and  black 
inlaid  upon  red.     Much  of  her  work  was  in  the  Moorish 


132. — Stone  Jug,  Incised  Decoration.  Miss 
Laura  A.  Fry,  188 1.    Cincinnati  Art  Museum. 


CINCINNATI.  283 

style,  of  which  Illustration  1 3 1  shows  an  exceedingly  artistic 
example,  with  pierced  handles.  This  vase  was  designed 
by  Mr.  L.  F.  Plimpton  and  decorated  by  Mrs.  Plimpton, 
and  is  now  owned  by  the  Cincinnati  Art  Museum.  The 
ground  is  yellow,  with  inlaying  of  red  and  other  Ohio 
clays  and  a  black  clay  from  Indiana.    In  the  Cincinnati 


133. — Miss  M.  Louise  McLaughlin. 

room  of  the  Woman's  Building  at  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition,  this  piece  attracted  considerable  attention. 

Miss  Laura  A,  Fry  also  produced  some  excellent  work 
in  etched  designs  after  the  Doulton  method.  A  stone 
jug,  with  incised  decoration,  outlined  in  blue,  and  made  in 
1 88 1,  is  also  the  property  of  the  same  museum  (111.  132). 


1 


284 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Another  style,  consisting  of  relief  work  in  parian  paste, 
received  attention  from  several  members  of  the  club, 
notably  Mrs.  E.  G.  Leonard  and  Miss  Agnes  Pitman. 
It  is  not  possible  to  review  at  length  the  individual  work 
of  each  interested  worker  in  this  field.  All  followed  out 
ideas  more  or  less  original  and  each  accomplished  work  of 
genuine  merit.  We  must  refer  those  who  desire  to  pursue 
this  subject  further  to  the  excellent  article  in  the  May 
number  of  Harper  s  Magazine  for  1 88 1 ,  by  Mrs.  x-\aron 
F.  Perry.  The  Pottery  Club  continued  a  successful  and 
harmonious  existence  until  1890,  when,  on  account  of  a  lack 
of  financial  support,  it  was  disbanded  by  mutual  consent. 
Miss  McLaughlin  and  Miss  Newton  have  continued  their 
work  in  overglaze  decoration,  and  the  former  has  embodied 
the  results  of  her  investigations  in  a  series  of  valuable 
treatises  on  Pottery  Decoration  and  China  Painting. 

After  the  Pottery  Club  had  disbanded,  a  few  of  the 
former  members  organized  a  club  which  they  called  The 
Associated  Artists  of  Cincinnati,  of  which  Miss  Mc- 
Laughlin became  president  and  Miss  Newton  secretary. 
Many  beautiful  examples  of  overglaze  decoration,  as  well 
as  metal  work,  executed  by  the  members  of  this  association, 
were  exhibited  at  the  Chicago  Fair,  among  which  some 
large  porcelain  vases,  artistically  painted  in  dainty  colors 
and  gold  tracery,  will  rank  with  the  best  professional 
work. 

ROOKWOOD. 

It  is  safe  to  assert  that  no  ceramic  establishment 
which  has  existed  in  the  United  States  has  come  nearer 


C INC  INN  A  TI. 


285 


fulfilling  the  requirements  of  a  distinctively  American  in- 
stitution than  the  Rookwood  Pottery  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
For  this  reason,  and  because  of  the  additional  fact  that 
the  founding  of  this  factory  was  due  to  the  intelligent  and 
well  directed  efforts  of  a  woman,  the  history  of  Rook- 
wood, from  its  inception,  cannot  fail  to  have  a  peculiar 
interest  for  American  collectors  and  patrons  of  art. 

The  ceramic  display  of  Japan,  at  the  Philadelphia 
Exhibition  of  1876,  inspired  the  venture  which  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  these  works,  in  1880,  by  Mrs.  Maria 
Longworth  Nichols  (now  Mrs.  Bellamy  Storer),  whom 
we  have  already  seen  as  an 
enthusiastic  investigator  and 
student  in  some  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati potteries.  She  began 
her  work  at  the  Dallas  white- 
ware  pottery,  where  she  and 
several  other  amateurs  con- 
tinued for  two  years.  The 
heat  being  found  to  be  too  intense  for  firing  underglaze 
colors,  at  the  granite  ware  factory,  first  suggested  to  Mrs. 
Nichols  the  idea  of  building  a  place  of  her  own.  Her  ex- 
periments were  continued  at  the  new  establishment,  which 
she  had  erected  at  207  Eastern  Avenue,  and  which, 
through  the  wise  liberality  of  her  father,  Mr.  Joseph  Long- 
worth,  was  afterwards  furnished  with  the  necessary  means 
for  its  maintenance  while  its  products  were  finding  a 
market  and  until  financially  it  could  stand  alone.  The 
name  selected  for  the  works  was  that  of  the  country  place 
of  Mr.  Longworth,  at  East  Walnut  Hills,  in  the  suburbs 


134. — Old  Rookwood. 


286 


of  the  city,  so  called  on  account  of  the  great  number  of 
crows  which  frequented  the  adjacent  woods.  In  the  more 
congenial  quarters  of  the  new  pottery  Mrs.  Nichols  sur- 
rounded herself  with  skilled  workmen  and  able  artists, 
and  the  first  kiln  of  ware  was  fired  in  November  of  1880. 
A  specialty  was  first  made  of  commercial  ware  for  table 


135. — Mrs.  Maria  Longworth  Storer. 

and  household  purposes,  the  principal  body  used  being 
intermediary  between  cream-colored  and  white  granite 
wares.  In  1881  considerable  quantities  of  this  ware  were 
produced  in  breakfast  and  dinner  services,  pitchers, 
plaques,  vases,  wine-coolers,  ice-tubs,  water-buckets,  um- 
brella jars,  and  a  variety  of  other  patterns,  which  were 


287 


sold  either  in  ivory  finish  or  decorated  with  underglaze 
blue  and  brown  prints  of  birds,  fishes,  and  other  animal 
subjects.  These,  being  artistic  in  form  and  now  difficult 
to  procure,  are  much  sought  for  by  collectors  (see  111. 
136).  All  of  the  forms  made  in  white  during  this  period 
were  also  furnished  in  blue,  sage-green,  and  red  bodies, 
which  were  often  ornamented  with  devices  carved  in  the 
paste.    The  border  work  on  white  tea-sets  was  painted 


136. — Rookwood  Plate,  Printed  Decoration. 


over  the  glaze  by  an  Englishman  named  Broomfield. 
Yellow  ware  of  a  superior  quality  was  also  made  about 
the  same  time. 

During  the  last-named  year,  Mr.  Ferdinand  Mersman, 
at  present  modeller  for  the  Cambridge  Art  Tile  Works  at 
Covington,  Ky.,  just  across  the  river,  designed  some  fine 
pieces  for  the  Rookwood  works,  including  a  Garfield 


288 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP CELAIN. 


Memorial  pitcher  and  several  vases  with  figures  in  high 
relief,  the  latter  being  modelled  entirely  by  hand  and  never 
duplicated.  The  pitchers,  with  relief  portrait  of  President 
Garfield,  were  made  of  sage-green  clay  with  "  smear  "  or 
dull  glaze,  in  two  sizes,  of  which  less  than  a  hundred  were 
issued. 

While  the  manufacture  of  commercial  ware  was  being 
prosecuted,  Mrs.  Nichols  was  engaged  in  producing  works 


No.  137. — Large  Pottery  Bowl,  Underglaze  Decoration,  by  Mrs.  Maria 
L.  Nichols,  1882.    Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art. 

of  a  high  artistic  order,  after  the  Japanese  styles  (see  111. 
137).  During  these  earlier  years,  Miss  Clara  Chipman 
Newton  was  associated  with  Mrs.  Nichols  in  this  work 
and  her  refined  taste  and  intense  interest  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  progress  which  was  made  at  that 
time.  In  1883  Mr.  W.  W.  Taylor  bcame  Mrs.  Storers 
partner  in  the  enterprise  and  has  continued  from  that  time 
the  active  manager. 

The  printing  processes  were  soon  entirely  abandoned 


C INC  INN  A  TI. 


289 


and  table  wares  were  gradually  superseded  by  the  more 
elegant  decorative  forms  which  have  since  attracted  so 
much  attention.  Methods  were  adopted  which  tended  to 
the  development  of  original  work  and  the  copying  of  other 
wares  was  entirely  discontinued. 

The  ware  produced  at  Rookwood  is  a  true  faience 
and  may  be  classed  under  three  heads  :  Cameo,  or  shell- 
tinted  ware,  generally  of  a  beautiful  pink  color,  gradually 


No.  138. — Group  of  Rookwood  Vases. 

shading  into  white,  and  highly  glazed.    Dull  Finished 

ware,  similar  in  color  to  the  former,  possessing  a  surface 

soft  in  texture  and  having  the  appearance  of  being  un- 

glazed,  but  susceptible  of  being  easily  cleaned  ;  and  lastly, 

the  most  characteristic  of  all,  the  richly  glazed  Rookwood 

fa'iejice.   The  distinguishing  feature  of  all  of  these  varieties 

is  the  tinting  and  harmonious  blending  of  the  grounds 

beneath  the  heavy,  transparent,  colored  glazes,  producing 
19 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  effect  of  rich  tones  of  black,  yellow,  red,  olive,  green, 
brown,  and  amber  of  great  brilliancy,  mellowness,  depth, 
and  strength. 

The  highest  achievements  in  glazing  are  the  so-called 
tiger's-eye  and  gold-stone,  which  glisten  in  the  light  with  a 
beautiful  auriferous  sheen.  In  several  pieces  which  we 
have  seen,  the  decorator  has  ingeniously  utilized  certain 
iridescent  points,  where  the  shining  particles  of  the  glaze 
have  concentrated,  for  the  eyes  of  fishes  which  have  been 
painted  around  them.  The  accompanying  engraving 
(111.  138)  will  give  a  fair  idea  of  some  of  the  graceful 
forms  of  vases  produced  here,  but  no  adequate  conception 
of  the  great  beauty  of  the  glazing  can  be  conveyed  in 
black  and  white. 

Several  distinct  bodies  are  employed,  one  of  which 
may  be  described  as  a  true  earthenware.  It  has  been  dis- 
covered by  costly  experiment  that  the  point  of  complete 
or  nearly  perfect  vitrification  injures,  more  or  less,  the 
underglaze  colors,  but  in  the  finer  bodies  that  point  is 
approached  as  closely  as  possible  to  obtain  the  best  results. 
The  chief  body  now  in  use  partakes  of  some  of  the  quali- 
ties of  stoneware  and  some  of  the  properties  of  semi- 
porcelain.  A  piece  of  well  fired  Rookwood  biscuit  will 
practically  hold  water  but  will  absorb  more  or  less  of  it, 
and  far  surpasses  regular  earthenware  in  vitreous  ring. 
The  clays  used  are  found  mainly  in  the  Ohio  valley,  in- 
cluding a  red  variety  from  Buena  Vista,  Ohio,  yellow  from 
Hanging  Rock,  Ohio,  and  a  white  or  cream-colored  clay 
from  Chattanooga,  Tenn., — artificially  tinted  bodies  being 
also  employed  to  some  extent. 


No.  139. — Dull-Finished  Vase,  Decorated 
by  Mr.  A.  R.  Valentien.  Pennsylvania 
Museum,  Philadelphia. 

291 


292 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  workmen  of  this  factory  have  all  been  especially 
trained  in  their  respective  branches.  Excepting  in  the 
preparation  of  the  clays,  no  machinery  is  used  save  the 
primitive  potter's  wheel,  which  gives  more  freedom  and 
greater  variety  to  the  outlines  of  vessels  than  the  more 
mechanical  processes  of  moulding,  the  shapes  produced 
being  mainly  variations  of  classic  forms,  possessing  marked 
individuality  of  treatment.  Only  one  thrower  is  employed 
at  the  pottery,  and  his  graceful  creations  have  obtained  a 
world-wide  celebrity.  Each  piece  is  afterwards  passed  to 
a  turner,  who  carefully  trims  off  the  surfaces  on  a  lathe 
which  is  attached  to  an  old-fashioned  throwing  wheel 
turned  by  a  boy. 

For  the  more  rapid  production  of  certain  standard 
forms,  such  as  tea-pots,  jars,  and  pitchers,  which  are  still 
made  to  some  extent,  the  casting  method  is  practised, 
being  the  same  as  that  discovered  at  Tournay,  France,  in 
1784.  This  consists  in  pouring  the  prepared  liquid  clay 
or  "slip,"  into  a  hollow  mould  and  allowing  it  to  stand  for 
a  few  moments  until  the  plaster  has  absorbed  the  super- 
abundant moisture  from  the  parts  in  contact,  forming  a 
thin  shell  of  uniform  thickness  which  adheres  to  the  mould 
after  the  slip  has  been  emptied  out,  and  is  allowed  to 
stand  a  while  longer  before  being  removed. 

Mr.  Joseph  Bailey,  now  superintendent  at  the  Rook- 
wood  Pottery,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848  from 
Tunstall,  Staffordshire,  England.  He  belongs  to  a  family 
of  potters,  one  of  his  uncles  being  Taylor  Booth,  son  of 
Ward  Booth,  both  of  whom  were  prominent  members  of 
the  craft  in  England  during  the  early  part  of  the  present 


CINC1NNA  TL 


293 


century.  Mr.  Bailey  entered  the  pottery  of  Mr.  R.  Bag- 
nail  Beach  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  for  about 
six  months,  and  afterwards  worked  for  Messrs.  Harker 
and  Taylor,  of  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  In  1850  he  went 
to  Cincinnati,  where  he  has  remained  almost  continuously 
until  the  present  time.  At  the  death  of  Mr.  Dallas,  he 
assumed  supervision  of  the  Rookwood  Pottery.  His  long 
experience  and  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  all 
branches  of  the  art  and 
his  extensive  experi- 
ments with  different 
clays  and  glazes  have 
contributed  in  no  small 
degree  to  the  beautiful 
effects  which  have  made 
the  productions  of  this 
factory  so  well  known. 

The  Rookwood 
decorations  are  now  en- 
tirely under  the  glaze. 
The   artists  employed 

140. — Mug.    Decorated  by  E.  P.  Cranch. 

in  this  work  have,  with 

few  exceptions,  been  educated  in  the  art  schools  of  Cin- 
cinnati. Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  are  Mr. 
Albert  R.  Valentien  and  Mr.  Matt  A.  Daly,  while  others 
are  rapidly  taking  rank  among  the  best  American  under- 
glaze  painters.  Mr.  Kataro  Shirayamadani,  one  of  the 
exceptions  referred  to,  is  a  Japanese  artist  of  the  best 
school,  and  is  doing  some  of  the  finest  work  in  Oriental 


294 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


methods.  The  late  Mr.  E.  P.  Cranch,  a  well-known 
lawyer  of  Cincinnati  and  an  exceedingly  clever  artist,  was 
connected  with  the  pottery  from  the  first  day  of  its  exist- 
ence, and  helped  it  by  his  fine  taste  and  criticism,  as  well 
as  by  his  excellent  work.  His  old-time  humorous  sketches 
in  black  and  brown  possess  uncommon  merit.  The  quaint 
style  which  characterizes  his  work  is  perhaps  seen  at  its 
best  in  a  set  of  mantel  tiles  painted  by  him  to  illustrate 
the  old  American  ballad  of  Isaac  Abbott,  which  is  a 

sample  of  the  traditionary 


One^iaaC  \)>\ 


lore  of  New  England 
country  life  during  the 
eighteenth  century,  having 
been  handed  down  from 
father  to  son,  unrecorded 
until  Mr.  Cranch  tran- 
scribed the  air  and  words, 
as  heard  by  him,  more 
than  fifty  years  ago,  from 
the  lips  of  a  nephew  of 
Dr.  Noah  Webster,  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.  These,  with 
the  original  descriptive  designs  used  on  the  tiles,  were 
published  in  booklet  form  by  Robert  Clarke  &  Co.,  of 
Cincinnati,  in  1886,  and  dedicated  to  the  Cincinnati 
Literary  Club. 

No  less  meritorious  is  a  similar  series  of  tiles  painted 
by  Mr.  Cranch,  to  illustrate  the  ancient  ballad  of  Giles 
Scroggins  Ghost.  He  also  decorated  a  variety  of  other 
pieces,  such  as  beer-mugs,  pitchers,  etc.,  which  find  a 


141. — Tile  from  Isaac  Abbott  Set, 
Painted  by  E.  P.  Cranch. 
Rookwood  Pottery. 


C INC  INN  A  TI 


295 


ready  sale.  These  are  generally  finished  with  a  "  smear  " 
glaze,  and  present  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  other  pro- 
ductions of  this  factory.  Mr.  Cranch  died  in  November, 
1892,  in  his  eighty-third  year. 

While  no  serious  attempt  has  as  yet  been  made  to 
manufacture  art  tiles  in  a  business  way,  experiments  have 
been  essayed  in  this  direction  from  time  to  time,  which 
have  amply  shown  that  the  Rookwood  methods  are  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  the  production  of  artistic  tiling  for 
cabinet  inserts  and  mantel  facings.    We  figure  a  six-  by 


142. — Hand-Painted  Tile.  Rookwood. 


twelve-inch  hand-painted  tile  that  was  made  here  recently 
to  show  the  possibilities  in  this  direction  (111.  142).  The 
decoration  in  pure  white  is  applied  to  a  cameo-tinted  body, 
— a  pink  ground  gradually  shading  into  white.  The 
dainty  and  delicate  coloring,  the  brilliancy  of  the  glazing, 
and  the  superior  quality  of  the  body,  together  with  the 
originality  of  the  decorative  treatment,  point  to  the  early 
establishment  of  this  branch  of  the  art. 

The  Rookwood  Pottery  was  the  first  in  this  country 
to  demonstrate  the  fact  that  a  purely  American  art-pro- 


296  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


duct,  in  which  original  and  conscientious  work  is  made 
paramount  to  commercial  considerations,  can  command 
the  appreciation  of  the  American  public.  Owing  to  the 
many  experiments  undertaken,  it  was  operated  at  an 
annual  loss  until  the  year  1889,  when  it  paid  off  all  its  in- 
debtedness and  became  a  financial  success.  At  that  time, 
no  longer  needing  pecuniary  aid,  it  was  turned  over  by 
Mrs.  Storer  to  Mr.  W.  W.  Taylor,  who  soon  afterwards 
organized  a  stock  company  under  the  name  of  the  Rook- 
wood  Pottery  Co.  Under  the  efficient  management  of 
Mr.  Taylor,  the  enthusiastic  president,  rapid  strides  are 


143. — Ram's  Horn  Flower  Basket.  Rookwood. 

constantly  being  made  in  the  improvement  of  methods, 
shapes,  bodies,  and  glazes. 

A  new  structure,  with  all  modern  equipments,  has  re- 
cently been  erected  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Adams, 
overlooking  the  city,  where,  with  vastly  improved  facilities, 
the  capacity  of  the  factory  has  been  greatly  increased. 
Here  the  kilns  are  fired  with  crude  petroleum,  which  in- 
sures better  and  more  certain  results.  A  room  has  been 
set  apart  for  the  especial  use  of  Mrs.  Storer,  where  she 
can  continue  her  work  when  so  inclined. 


CINCINNA  TI. 


297 


Ten  years  ago  Rookwood  was  scarcely  known  outside 
of  Cincinnati.  To-day  its  exquisite  ceramic  creations  may 
be  found  in  almost  every  home  of  culture  and  refinement 
and  in  every  prominent  art  museum  in  the  land.  The 
evolution  of  Rookwood  faience  was  the  result  of  a  com- 
bination of  conditions  peculiarly  favorable  to  the  develop- 
ment of  a  new  art  product.  It  was  the  conception  of  a 
talented  woman,  representing  the  third  generation  of  a 
family  widely  known  in 
cultured  social  circles 
as  patrons  of  the  arts, 
who  devoted  her  rare 
abilities  and  her  abun- 
dant means  to  the 
realization  of  an  idea. 
Fostered  by  the  senti- 
ment of  a  community 
long  noted  as  an  art 
centre  and  rich  in 
private  collections  of 
ceramic  treasures,  aided 

1        1         1   •  r  144. — Vase.    Decorated  by  Mr.  Shirayamad^ 

by  the  advice   of   COm-  Pennsylvania  Museum. 

petent  critics,  assisted 

by  the  intelligent  co-operation  of  artisans  and  artists  who 
came  almost  at  the  beginning-  and  have  ever  since  been 
identified  with  the  gradual  development,  the  venture  was 
peculiarly  favored  and  the  result  has  been  particularly 
gratifying,  both  to  the  founder  herself  and  the  community 
to  which  she  belongs.  Such  were  the  conditions  which 
operated  in  combination  to  perfect  the  Rookwood  pottery 


298  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


as  it  comes  to  us  to-day,  and  without  which  such  results 
could  not  have  been  attained.  But  we  may  expect  still 
greater  achievements  in  the  future,  under  the  efficient 
direction  of  Mr.  Taylor,  who  is  devoting  his  energies  to 
the  still  higher  perfection  of  underglaze  decoration. 

The  Installation  of  the  Rookwood  pottery  at  the 
World's  Columbian  Exposition  was  the  conception  of 
Mr.  Taylor.  The  space  occupied  by  the  Rookwood  dis- 
play was  bounded  on  the  two  sides  by  heavy  walls  four 


145. — The  New  Rookwood. 


feet  high,  and  three  feet  in  width,  faced  with  large  panels 
of  fire-clay  body  decorated  with  symbolical  and  appropri- 
ate designs,  such  as  the  whirling  globe,  typifying  the  pot- 
ter's wheel,  the  dragons  of  fire,  and  the  vase  emerging 
from  the  glow  of  the  kiln.  The  walls  were  of  a  warm 
yellow  color.  On  each  side  rose  three  slender  columns  of 
the  same  material  twelve  feet  in  height,  and  of  a  rich 
malachite  green,  terminating  in  flame  points  of  red  and 


C INC  INN  A  TI 


orange.  At  the  back  of  the  enclosure  stood  a  handsome 
cabinet  containing  the  treasures  of  Rookwood,  such  as 
exquisite  pieces  of  "  tiger-eye  "  and  "  gold-stone,"  while 
on  the  walls  and  placed  around  the  enclosed  platform  were 
many  larger  pieces  showing  the  best  work  of  this  kind 
which  has  thus  far  been  produced.  One  of  the  most 
effective  pieces,  which  was  prepared  especially  for  the 
Exposition,  was  a  large  pottery  boat  of  Columbian  form, 
three  and  one  half  feet  in  length,  supported  on  a  pedestal 
artistically  modelled  to  represent  the  idea  of  water  and 
waves.  The  pieces  which  attracted  most  attention,  how- 
ever, were  some  vases  and  plaques  decorated  with  ideal 
and  grotesque  heads,  figures  of  monks,  and  other  designs 
after  engravings  and  photographs,  painted  under  the  glaze. 
This  style  of  work  evinces  such  a  degree  of  artistic  feeling 
and  intelligent  treatment  of  colors  as  to  occasion  consid- 
erable surprise  to  all  who  had  the  fortune  to  examine  it. 
Among  the  foremost  of  those  who  have  attempted  this 
new  style  of  decoration  are  Messrs.  M.  A.  Daly,  A.  Van 
Briggle,  and  W.  P.  McDonald.  It  is  understood  that  not 
only  fancy  heads,  but  actual  portraits,  have  been  attempted 
with  most  gratifying  results,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  it  will  be  possible  to  procure  from  the  Rookwood 
Pottery  painted  portraits  equal  in  all  respects,  and  more 
satisfactory  in  some,  to  the  oil  painting. 


THE  CINCINNATI   ART   POTTERY  COMPANY. 

Mr.  Thomas  J.  Wheatley  commenced  experimenting 
in  clays  and  glazes  at  the  pottery  of  Messrs.  P.  L.  Coultry 


■ 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


&  Co.,  in  1879,  ar|d  in  1880  established  a  workshop  on 
Hunt  Street,  where,  under  the  firm  name  of  T.  J. 
Wheatley  &  Co.,  underglaze  work  was  produced  to  some 
extent  after  the  style  of  the  Limoges  faience. 

In  1879  a  joint-stock  company  was  organized  under 
the  title  of  the  Cincinnati  Art  Pottery  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Frank  Huntington  was  made  president,  and  Mr. 
Wheatley  continued  his  connection  with  the  works  until 
1882,  when  he  withdrew  to  engage  in  other  business.  For 
several  years  the  company  confined  its   operations  to 


146. — "  Hungarian  Faience."    Cincinnati  Art  Pottery  Company. 


underglaze  work,  and  some  of  the  pieces  produced  were 
remarkable  for  beauty  and  originality  of  form  and  excel- 
lence of  workmanship.  Later,  barbotine  ware,  in  applied 
work,  was  manufactured  for  a  time,  but  this  was  soon 
dropped  for  a  more  artistic  style  of  overglaze  decoration 
on  white  bodies.  The  "  Hungarian  faience  "  made  here 
soon  became  popular  with  the  purchasing  public.  The 
*'  Portland  blue  faJiejice  "  was  so  called  on  account  of  the 
rich  dark-blue  glaze,  of  the  color  of  the  famous  Portland 
vase,  which  formed  a  peculiarly  striking  ground  for  gold 


C INC  INN  A  TI. 


301 


decorative  effects.  The  highest  achievement  of  this 
manufactory,  however,  and  the  most  distinctive  in  style, 


147. — Canteen-Shaped  Vessel,  "  Kezonta  "  Ware.    Cincinnati  Museum. 


is  the  ivory-colored  faience  in  the  forms  of  vases  and 
bowls  decorated  with  gold  scroll-work  and  chrysanthe- 


302 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


mums  in  natural  colors.  Of  the  latter  several  artistic 
examples  may  be  seen  in  the  Cincinnati  Art  Museum, 
including  a  daintily  painted  vase  of  canteen  shape  (111. 
147)  and  a  fan-shaped  flower-holder  or  wall  piece  deco- 
rated by  Rose  (111.  148).  The  name  Kezonta  has  been 
selected  to  designate  these  wares.    The  origin  of  the 


148. — Fan-Shaped  Vessel,  "  Kezonta"  Ware. 


word  is  interesting.  The  trade-mark  adopted  was  the 
figure  of  a  turtle,  and  when  it  was  ascertained  that  the 
Indian  name  for  turtle  was  kezonta,  this  was  afterwards 
added  to  the  device  and  printed  on  decorated  pieces. 
Pottery  in  the  biscuit,  in  deep  blue  and  white  glazes,  has 
been  largely  sold  to  decorators,  the  forms  being  generally 
modifications  of  the  ancient  Roman  and  Greek.  Many 


CINCINNA  TI. 


303 


ladies  found  profitable  employment  in  painting  these 
pieces  for  the  market,  and  it  is  with  regret  we  learn  that 
the  Cincinnati  Art  Pottery  has  recently  been  closed.  In 
design  and  treatment  much  of  the  ware  produced  here  is 
characterized  by  originality  and  a  high  degree  of  artistic 
merit. 

Within  the  past  few  years  other  potteries  have  at- 
tempted in  Cincinnati  to  make  decorated  ware,  with  vary- 
ing success.  One  founded  by  Mr.  Matt  Morgan  produced 
a  faience  modelled  in  low  relief  in  Moorish  designs,  and 
a  variety  of  ware  with  incised  designs,  touched  with  color. 
As  a  designer  he  displayed  unmistakable  talent,  and  his 
work  was  original  and  strongly  characteristic. 

The  Avon  Pottery  commenced  the  manufacture  of  a 
ware  somewhat  resembling  the  earlier  efforts  of  Rookwood. 
Dr.  Marcus  Benjamin,  of  New  York  City,  possesses  a 
gracefully  modelled  cup  or  mug  of  Avon  ware  with  ram's 
horn  handle,  undecorated  save  in  the  tinting  of  the  ground, 
which  shades  from  white  to  dark  pink.  Other  examples 
in  the  collection  of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum,  Philadel- 
phia, exhibit  the  same  characteristic,  a  gradual  shading  of 
color — pink,  olive,  light  blue,  or  brown,  and  some  small 
covered  vases  are  furnished  with  handles  modelled  in  the 
form  of  elephants'  heads.  Both  of  the  above  mentioned 
potteries  were  closed  after  a  brief  existence. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART 
SINCE  THE  CENTENNIAL. 

THE  revelations  of  the  Centennial  Exhibition  set  our 
potters  to  thinking  and  stimulated  them  to  greater 
competition.  Never  before  was  such  an  impetus 
given  to  any  industry.  The  best  productions  of  all 
nations  were  sent  here  and  exhibited  beside  our  own 
modest  manufactures,  and  it  was  only  too  apparent  that 
America  had  been  left  behind  in  the  race.  Up  to  that  time 
there  had  been  a  few  sporadic  instances  of  attempts  at 
originality,  but  comparatively  little  had  been  accomplished 
of  a  really  artistic  nature.  The  existence  of  a  true  ce- 
ramic art  in  this  country  may  be  said  to  have  commenced 
with  the  Fair  of  1876,  because  greater  progress  has  been 
made  since  that  important  industrial  event  than  during  the 
two  centuries  which  preceded  it.  We  have  already  re- 
viewed the  wonderful  recent  advancement  of  the  principal 
potteries  established  before  the  Centennial.  We  shall 
now  briefly  outline  the  history  of  those  started  since,  not 
already  mentioned. 

Among  other  prominent  American  exhibitors  at  Phila- 
delphia in  1876  were  the  Empire  China  Works,  Green- 

304 


DE  VEL  OPM EN  T  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART.  305 


point,  N.  Y.,  manufacturers  of  porcelain  hardware  and 
cabinet  trimmings ;  Isaac  Davis,  Trenton,  N.  J.,  white 
granite  and  decorated  crockery;  Messrs.  Astbury  & 
Maddock,  Trenton,  sanitary  earthenware  and  china ; 
Messrs.  Yates,  Bennett,  &  Allen,  Trenton,  table  and  toilet 
wares  ;  Brunt,  Bloor,  Martin,  &  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio, 
white  granite  and  decorated  table  and  toilet  services  ;  and 
the  American  Crockery  Co.,  Trenton,  N.  J.,  makers  of 
stone  china,  bisque,  and  white  granite  goods. 

BENNETT  FAIENCE. 

Mr.  John  Bennett,  formerly  director  of  the  practical 
work  in  the  faience  department  of  the  Lambeth  Pottery  of 
Messrs.  Doulton  &  Co.,  of  London,  England,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  the  Centennial  year  and  settled  for  a 
time  in  New  York  City,  where  he  introduced  his  method 
of  decorating  faience  under  the  glaze.  He  built  his  first 
kiln  in  Lexington  Avenue,  and  afterwards  erected  others 
in  East  Twenty-fourth  Street  near  the  East  River.  At 
first  he  imported  English  biscuit,  but  after  a  time  he  em- 
ployed potters  to  make  the  common  cream-colored  body, 
as  the  tint  imparted  a  warmth  to  his  colors.  He  also 
used,  to  some  extent,  a  white  body,  made  in  Trenton,  N. 
J.  His  work  was  soon  in  great  demand  and  brought  high 
prices.  The  shapes  were  simple  and  generally  devoid  of 
handles  or  moulded  ornaments.  The  decorations  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  flowers  and  foliage,  drawn  from  nature  in 
a  vigorous  and  ornate  style,  and  painted  with  very  few 

touches.    A  background  was  worked  in  after  the  painting, 

20 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


in  loose  touches  and  delicate  tints,  and  finally  the  whole 
design  was  boldly  outlined  in  black  or  very  dark  color. 
The  glaze  was  brilliant,  even,  and  firm,  and  the  coloring 
exceedingly  rich,  the  mustard  yellows,  deep  blues,  and 
browns  tinged  with  red  giving  the  ware  a  bright  and 
attractive  appearance.  A  cylindrical  vase  decorated  with 
red  and  white  trumpet  flowers  impasted  on  a  blue  mottled 
ground  (111.  149),  and  a  small  spherical  vase  with  apple 

blossoms  on  a  glossy  black  ground 
(111.  150),  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
William  Lycett,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
are  excellent  examples  of  Mr.  Ben- 
nett's most  characteristic  work.  He 
also  produced  some  pieces  in  the 
style  of  the  so-called  Limoges  faie7icc\ 
by  applying  colored  slips  to  the 
un fired  clay. 

During  the  half  dozen  years 
that  Mr.  Bennett  devoted  to  this 
work  in  New  York  many  at- 
tempts were  made  to  imitate  his 
style. 

It  seems  proper  at  this  point 
to  quote  what  Mrs.  Aaron  F.  Perry  has  written  in  her 
paper  on  "  Decorative  Pottery  of  Cincinnati  "  in  Harper  s 
concerning  Mr.  Bennett's  relations  to  the  Lambeth  Pottery 
before  coming  to  this  country  : 

"  Mr.  Bennett's  attitude  toward  Mr.  Doulton  is  so  re- 
spectful and  deferential,  and  in  regard  to  what  he  has 
himself  done  is  so  modest,  that  his  own  statement  in 


149. — Bennett  Faience. 
Wm.  Lycett  Collection. 


BE  VEL  OPMENT  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART.  307 


answer  to  an  inquiry  on  this  point  is  not  without  interest. 
It  is  as  follows  :  '  Your  impression  respecting  Doulton 
Lambeth  faience  is  right.  I  introduced  it,  and  taught  all 
the  pupils,  glazed  and  burned  ;  but  in  justice  to  Mr.  H. 
Doulton,  the  principal,  I  must  say  it  is  very  doubtful 
whether  I  would  have  brought  it  to  the  success  it  attained 
had  I  not  been  engaged  by  him.  His  natural  good  taste 
and  desire  to  improve  in  art  pottery  always  had  a  stimu- 
lating effect  upon  me.  You  will 
gather  from  the  above  that  I 
think  the  Lambeth  faience  ought 
to  be  called  Donlton  ;  at  the  same 
time,  1  have  felt  slighted  by  no 
mention  being  made  of  my  name 
in  Mr.  Sparkes's  paper  on  Lam- 
beth pottery.' "  In  his  last  state- 
ment, however,  Mr.  Bennett  is 
clearly  in  error,  as  Mr.  Sparkes, 
in  his  article,  dated  June,  1876, 
distinctly  states  that  about  fifty 
young  ladies  were  employed  "at 
the  pottery  of  the  Messrs.  Doul- 

.  150. —  Bennett  Faience. 

ton,  painting  and  otherwise  dec-      Wm.  lycett  collection. 
orating   the   ware,    under  the 

immediate  superintendence  of  Mr.  John  Bennett,  the 
able  Director  of  all  the  practical  work  in  the  FaYence 
Department." 

About  1882  Mr.  Bennett  sought  retirement  on  his  farm 
in  the  Orange  Mountains  of  New  Jersey,  and  although  he 
built  a  kiln  there,  he  has  since  done  but  little  in  the  way 


3o8  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


of  faience  decoration.  The  mark  used  on  the  earlier 
pieces  was  "  J.  Bennett,  N.  Y.,"  and  later,  "  West  Orange, 
N.  J." 

At  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  a  pottery  was  started  about  1878, 
under  the  style  of  Odell  &  Booth  Brothers.  They  made 
majolica  and  faience,  decorated  under  the  glaze.  A  few 
years  ago  they  closed  the  works,  which,  after  remaining  idle 
some  time,  were  opened  and  operated  by  the  Owen  Tile 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  decorative  tiles. 

WHEELING,   WEST  VIRGINIA. 

In  November  of  1879  tne  Wheeling  Pottery  Company 
was  organized,  the  officers  being  George  K.  Wheat,  presi- 
dent, William  A.  Isett,  secretary,  and  Edward  Meakin 
Pearson,  general  manager.  To  Mr.  Pearson's  untiring 
energy  and  practical  knowledge  of  the  business  the  success 
of  the  company  is  largely  due.  In  1887  the  same  gentle- 
men organized  a  new  company  known  as  the  La  Belle 
Pottery  Co.,  and  the  same  officers  were  chosen  to  manage 
the  latter,  and  in  January,  1889,  the  two  companies  were 
merged  into  one.  Mr.  Pearson  was  elected  president  of 
the  concern  a  year  later,  and  has  held  the  position  con- 
tinuously until  the  present  time.  The  products  of  the 
original  works  are  plain  and  decorated  white  granite  ware, 
while  at  the  La  Belle  works  adamantine  china,  plain  and 
decorated,  is  made.  The  entire  plant  consists  of  fifteen 
large  kilns  and  thirteen  decorating  kilns,  and  forms  one 
of  the  most  extensive  potteries  in  the  United  States. 
The  large  decorating  department  is  under  the  efficient 


DE  VEL  OPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  AR  T.  309 


management  of  Mr.  Charles  Craddock,  who  has  been 
connected  with  the  company  since  1882.  He  is  a  native 
of  Burslem,  England,  and  was  for  years  in  the  employ  of 
Messrs.  Minton  &  Co.,  of  Stoke-on-Trent. 


151. — Mr.  Edward  Meakin  Pearson. 

Mr.  Edward  M.  Pearson,  the  president  of  the  com- 
pany, was  born  in  Burslem,  Staffordshire,  England,  on 
May  6,  1848,  at  which  time  his  father  owned  the  Abbey 
Pottery  at  Cobridge,  old  established  works,  which,  it  is 
said,  were  built  in  1703,  where  young  Pearson  afterwards 
learned  the  trade.  He  was  admitted  to  partnership  with 
his  father  in  1869  under  the  firm  name  of  Edward  Pearson 
&  Son.     In  1867  and  1868  the  son  had  visited  the  United 


3io 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


States  in  the  interest  of  their  English  house,  which  was 
engaged  exclusively  in  the  American  trade.  The  partner- 
ship was  continued  until  1873,  when  Mr.  Edward  M. 
Pearson  came  to  this  country  to  remain  permanently,  and 
in  July  of  the  same  year  he  went  to  East  Liverpool  to 
ascertain  if  white  ware  could  be  successfully  made  there. 
Nothing  was  then  being  attempted  in  that  direction  save 
some  trials  which  Messrs.  Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Knowles 
were  then  making.  These  gentlemen  permitted  Mr. 
Pearson  to  carry  on  some  experiments  in  their  factory, 

which  proved  highly  suc- 
cessful. The  citizens  of 
the  town  offered  to  donate 
the  land  and  $10,000 
toward  the  establishment 
of  a  white  ware  factory 
if  Mr.  Pearson  would 
accept  the  management. 

Accordingly,  in  conjunc- 

I52.-Mazarine  Blue  and  White  Pitcher,   tion  wjth   Messrs.  Homer 
Raised  Gold  Decoration.  Wheeling 

Pottery  Co.  and  Shakespeare  Laugh- 

lin,  Mr.  Pearson  accepted 
the  offer,  and  in  1874  erected  the  plant  which  is  now 
operated  by  Mr.  Homer  Laughlin.  Several  other  pot- 
teries were  afterwards  planned  and  built  by  Mr.  Pearson 
in  East  Liverpool,  and  of  the  eight  which  made  white 
ware  in  that  town  while  Mr.  Pearson  resided  there,  to  the 
year  1879,  ne  nas  been  connected  with  five.  In  the  last- 
named  year  he  moved  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  where  he  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  pottery  industry  ever  since. 


DEVEL OPM EN T  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART  311 


Mr.  Pearson  is  connected  on  his  mothers  side  with  the 
prominent  Meakin  family  of  potters  of  Staffordshire,  Eng- 
land, from  which  source  he  receives  his  middle  name. 

Although  a  native  Englishman,  Mr.  Pearson  has  be- 
come thoroughly  Americanized  and  has  been  prominent 
in  the  advocacy  of  tariff"  matters  before  both  houses  of 
Congress.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  U.  S.  Potters' 
Association,  has  held  a  number  of  prominent  offices  in 
that  organization,  and  is  now  a  member  of  several  im- 
portant committees. 

THE  OHIO  VALLEY  CHINA  COMPANY, 

of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  manufacture  porcelain  in  striking 
shapes  and  decorations.  The  exhibit  of  this  company  at 
the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  was  a  surprise  to  the 
public.  The  modelling  shows  jagged  or  coarsely  serrated 
edges  with  points  projecting  from  handles,  feet,  and 
prominent  parts,  somewhat  after  the  style  of  certain 
French  and  German  wares.  The  decorations  are  of 
great  variety  and  generally  over  the  glaze,  and  in  many 
instances  handles  and  zones  are  perforated  in  an  artistic 
manner.  Fine  effects  are  obtained  by  moulding  Cupids 
in  high  relief  in  irregular  alcoves  or  panels  on  the  sides 
of  vases. 

THE  STEUBEN VI LLE   POTTERY  CO. 

In  November,  1879,  a  meeting  was  called  by  repre- 
sentative business  men  of  Steubenville,  Ohio,  to  meet  Mr. 
A.  B.  Beck,  an  English  potter,  to  consider  the  matter  of 

forming  a  joint-stock  company  for  the  purpose  of  manu- 


312 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


facturing  white  granite  and  other  wares.  The  existence 
of  beds  of  excellent  coal  within  the  city  limits,  and  the 
natural   advantages  of  the  location  on  the  Ohio  River 

and  the  great  Pan  Handle 
Railroad  system,  convenient 
to  the  markets  of  the  north 
and  east,  decided  the  pro- 
jectors of  the  enterprise  in 
organizing  a  company  under 
the  name  of  the  Steuben- 
ville  Pottery  Company.  The 
necessary  buildings  were 
accordingly  erected  and  the 
first  kiln  was  drawn  on  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  1 88 1.  The  present 
officers  are  Mr.  W.  B.  Don- 
aldson, president,  Mr.  R. 
Sherrard.  Jr.,  vice-president, 
and  Mr.  Alfred  Day,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  who  has  also  been  for  several  years  the 
popular  secretary  of  the  United  States  Potters'  Association. 

About  five  years  ago,  coal  was  superseded  by  natural 
gas  as  a  fuel,  which  insures  a  superior 
finish  of  the  ware  and  better  results  in 
the  baking.  The  products  of  this  factory 
are  white  granite  and  decorated  ware, 
in  table  and  toilet  services.  The  works 
now  furnish  employment  to  about  two  hundred  hands, 
and  annually  produce  $175,000  of  finished  goods. 

A  new  departure  has  recently  been  made  at  this  pottery 


153. — "Canton  China"  Pitcher. 
Steubenville  Pottery  Co. 


DE  VEL  OPMENT  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART.  313 

in  the  adoption  of  a  semi-vitreous,  opaque  body  of  a  rich 
cream  color  and  exceedingly  light  weight,  which  is  called 
"  Canton  china."  It  is  made  in  vases,  jardinieres,  and 
toilet  sets,  with  overglaze  dec- 
orations on  tinted  and  gold- 
stippled  grounds.  A  graceful 
ewer  vase,  with  openwork 
handle  formed  of  forget-me- 
nots,  is  particularly  effective. 
This  is  sold  in  a  number  of 
pleasing  decorations,  or  fur- 
nished plain  for  decorators, 
and  is  already  becoming  popu- 

1  r  1    •  154- — "Canton  China"  Vase. 

lar  on   account  of  being  par-  steubenville  Pottery  Co. 

ticularly  well  adapted  for  this 

purpose  (111.  153).  The  stamp  used  on  the  "  Beula  " 
pattern,  in  white  granite  dinner  ware,  is  an  outline  map 
of  the  State  of  Ohio. 

The  Louisiana  Porcelain  Works  of  Messrs.  Hernandez 
&  Saloy  were  started  in  New  Orleans  about  1880,  or  pos- 
sibly earlier,  for  the  manufacture  of  French  china.  The 
ware  was  made  by  French  workmen,  from  French  ma- 
terials, and  was  similar  in  quality  to  the  Limoges  porcelain. 
It  was  sold  white,  but  at  the  time  of  the  closing  of  the 
establishment,  about  1890,  a  decorating  department  was 
about  to  be  added. 

THE   FAEINCE    MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

of  New  York  began  in  1880  to  make,  at  Greenpoint,  Long 
Island,  pottery  decorated  with  hand-modelled  flowers  ap- 


3'4 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


plied  to  the  surface  and  painted  under  the  glaze,  to  which 
the  name  barbotine  was  incorrectly  given,  this  term  being 

in  France  used  synon- 
ymously with  "  slip  " 
or  liquid  clay.  When 
the  temporary  demand 
for  this  class  of  ware 
had  subsided,  the  com- 
pany made  for  a  time 
so-called  majolica 
ware.  Plain  shapes, 
without  the  moulded 
flowers,  were  dipped 
in  colored  glazes,  some 
pleasing  results  being 
obtained  by  blending 
the  various  tints  in 
streaked  and  marbled 
effects. 

Mr.  Edward  Ly- 
cett,  formerly  of  Staf- 
fordshire, England, 
who  had  since  1 86 1 
carried  on  an  exten- 
sive decorating  busi- 


ness    in    New  York 

155. — Faience  Vase.  FaIence  Manufacturing  Co.  City,    where     he  em- 
By  Edward  Lycett.  .         .    f  .  . 

ployed  Irom  thirty  to 
forty  people  in  painting  and  gilding  imported  wares, 
joined  the  Faience   Manufacturing   Company  in  1884, 


Porcelain  Vase.     Faience  Manufacturing  Co. 
By  Edward  Lycett. 


3i5 


3  1 6 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


and  assumed  the  direction  of  the  factory.  Being  a 
practical  potter,  as  well  as  an  artist  of  ripe  experience,  he 
at  once  set  to  work  to  compound  better  bodies  and  glazes 
and  to  design  new  shapes  and  decorations,  and  soon 
began  the  manufacture  of  richly  embellished  pieces,  such 
as  vases  and  other  articles  of  ornamental  character.  One 
of  the  finest  examples  made  at  this  factory,  which  is 
shown  in  Illustration  155,  is  a  large  granite  vase,  in  the 
Persian  style,  designed  and  painted  by  Mr.  Lycett.  While 
entirely  covered  with  rich  ornamentation,  the  effect  is 
subdued  and  pleasing.  The  ground  is  a  dark  bronze, 
over  which  conventionally  treated  flowers,  the  poppy  on 
one  side  and  the  clematis  on  the  other,  are  executed  in 
dull  tones  of  color  and  outlined  with  raised  gold,  while 
the  embossed  and  perforated  work,  handles,  and  foot,  are 
covered  with  gold  of  different  tints.  The  height  of  this 
vase  is  forty-two  inches,  and  it  is  claimed  that  it  was  sold 
for  probably  the  highest  price  yet  paid  for  any  single 
piece  of  American  pottery. 

A  fine  grade  of  porcelain  was  introduced  by  Mr. 
Lycett,  its  peculiarity  being  that,  although  a  true  porce- 
lain, entirely  devoid  of  bone,  it  is  fired  in  the  reverse  of  the 
usual  method,  being  burned  hard  in  the  biscuit  and  softer 
in  the  glaze,  in  which  no  lead  or  borax  is  present,  thus  pos- 
sessing all  the  advantages,  in  placing  and  firing,  of  a  faience 
or  earthen  body  and  the  superior  glaze  of  hard  porcelain. 
Vases  up  to  twenty-six  inches  in  height  were  made  of  this 
body,  which  is  very  white  and  of  a  pleasing  softness  to  the 
eye.  The  example  here  figured  is  modelled  and  painted 
in  the  Moorish  style,  with  openwork  handles,  collar,  and 


BE  VELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART.  317 


cover,  decorated  in  raised  gold  and  bronzes  of  brown, 
olive,  and  othejr  tints,  on  a  pale  ochre  ground  (111.  156). 

A  dolphin-handled  vase,  twenty-eight  inches  high,  is  a 
fine  example  of  artistic  treatment.  The  ground  is  of  a 
pale  ivory  tint,  on 
which  aquatic  plants 
are  painted  in  subdued 
tones,  enriched  and  re- 
heightened  with  vein- 
inofs  and  outlines  of 
raised  work  in  gold 
and  bronzes  (111.  157). 
This  is  the  work  of 
Mr.  Joseph  Lycett,  a 
son  of  the  former 
director  of  the  works. 
The  handles  are  cov- 
ered with  mat  gold 
and  a  peculiar  dark 
gold  bronze  which  pro- 
duces a  singularly  mas- 
sive effect.    The  body 

is  a  fine  faience,  which        157.— Faience  Vase.    Faience  Manufac- 
.        .        mi  Turing  Co.    By  Joseph  Lycett. 

may  be  described  as 

a  superior  quality  of  white  granite  ware.  Illustration 
No.  158  represents  a  fine  faience  vase  with  painting  of 
"A  Flight  of  Storks"  in  gold  and  bronze  on  an  ivory 
ground.  The  handles  and  cover  are  pierced.  The  height 
of  the  vase  is  about  eighteen  inches.  The  decoration  is 
the  work  of  Mr.  Edward  Lycett. 


3i8 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


In  testing  various  materials  for  improving  the  glazes, 
Mr.  Edward  Lycett  was  fortunate  in  observing  effects  of 
iridescence  on  some  of  his  experiments,  which,  being  con- 
tinued on  new  lines,  resulted  finally  in  the  discovery  of  a 

method  of  making  the 
reflecting  glaze,  or  Re- 
flet metallique  of  the 
ancient  Persian  tiling, 
which  has  been  so  much 
admired  for  its  brilliant 
reflections  of  prismatic 
and  opalescent  colors. 
Specimens  of  Mr.  Ly- 
cett's  Reflets  nacres  and 
metalliqncs,  now  before 
me,  fully  merit  the  de- 
scription of  the  Oriental 
Reflets  given  by  our  late 
Minister  to  Persia,  the 
Hon.  S.  G.  W.  Benja- 
min, in  his  book,  Persia 
and  the  Persians,  and  is 
a  remarkable  result  of 
patient  research.  An 
example  submitted  to 
the  South  Kensington 
Museum,  in  London, 
was  pronounced  a  "  marvellous  piece  of  lustre,"  and  at 
the  late  Piedmont  Exposition  in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  a  special 
medal  was  awarded  for  tiles  treated  with  this  glazing. 


158. — Fine  Faience  Vase,  "  A  Flight 
of  Storks."  Decorated  in  Gold  and 
Bronze  on  an  Ivory  Ground.  Fa'i- 
ence  Manufacturing  Co. 


DE  VEL  OPM E  NT  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART  319 


Mr.  Lycett  has  also  recently  sent  a  few  of  these  tiles  to 
the  Technical  Museum  of  Hanley,  Staffordshire,  England, 
and  in  acknowledging  their  receipt,  Mr.  William  Burton, 
the  able  chemist  of  the  Wedgwood  works,  and  lecturer 
on  pottery,  writes  :  "  I  have  just  unpacked  them  and  am 
surprised  and  delighted  with  the  beauty  and  perfection  of 
their  iridescence.  You  have  rightly  named  them  Persian 
lustres,  for  they  have  exactly  the  qualities  of  the  old 
Persian  lustred  ware,  some  of  which  happen  to  be  dis- 
played in  an  adjoining  case." 

Mr.  Lycett  severed  his  connection  with  the  Faience 
Manufacturing  Company  in  1890,  when  it  became  the 
agent  in  this  country  for  a  French  manufactory.  Mr. 
Lycett  has  now  retired  from  active  business,  but  his  three 
sons,  Mr.  William  Lycett  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  Mr.  F. 
Lycett  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Lycett 
of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  who  have  for  many  years  enjoyed  the 
benefit  of  their  father's  instruction,  are  still  actively  en- 
gaged in  teaching  and  decorating. 

A  pottery  was  erected  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  in  1882  by 
Mr.  A.  M.  Beck,  who  came  from  England.  He  built 
three  kilns  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  majolica 
ware.  At  Mr.  Beck's  death,  two  years  later,  the  works 
were  sold  to  Messrs.  Bennighof,  Uhl,  &  Co.,  who  com- 
menced making  white  ware.  In  1891  the  Crown  Pottery 
Co.  was  organized  and  the  plant  was  increased  to  six 
kilns  and  four  enamel  kilns.  The  present  products  are 
white  granite  specialties  in  table  and  toilet  goods,  plain, 
white,  and  decorated.  The  trade-mark  used  by  the  com- 
pany is  a  crown. 


32o         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

THE  CHESAPEAKE  POTTERY, 

of  Baltimore,  Md.,  although  among  the  youngest  of  the 
American  potteries,  has  achieved  a  high  reputation  for  the 
variety  of  excellent  and  novel  bodies  and  glazes  it  has 
produced,  and  has  won  still  greater  distinction  by  the 
beauty  and  originality  of  its  designs,  both  in  form  and 
decoration.  The  works  were  started  in  1 88 1  by  Messrs. 
D.  F.  Haynes  &  Co.,  and  were  continued  without  change 
until  1887,  when  the  style  was  altered  to  The  Chesapeake 
Pottery  Company,  and  in  1890  Messrs.  Haynes,  Bennett, 
&  Co.  assumed  control  and  are  still  operating  the  pottery 
with  marked  success. 

Mr.  David  Francis  Haynes,  the  senior  partner,  has 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  business  since  its  inception.  He 
was  born  in  1835,  in  the  town  of  Brookfield,  Mass.,  and 
sprang  from  a  sturdy  Puritan  race,  his  emigrant  ancestor, 
Walter  Haynes,  having  landed  in  Boston,  from  the  ship 
Confidence,  in  1638.  Mr.  Haynes  spent  his  early  life  on 
a  New  England  farm,  attending  the  public  schools  of  the 
vicinity  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  when  he  entered  a 
crockery  store  in  Lowell,  Mass.  Here  he  rose  rapidly, 
and  before  attaining  his  majority  was  sent  to  England  by 
his  employer  in  charge  of  an  important  trust.  Possessing 
a  natural  taste  for  decorative  work,  he  displayed  at  an 
early  age  marked  talent  for  construction  and  ornamenta- 
tion, and  his  visits  abroad,  among  the  art  treasures  of 
England  and  the  Continent,  proved  a  revelation  and  an 
education  to  him.  Returning  to  his  native  land  in  the 
autumn  of  1856,  Mr.  Haynes  soon  moved  to  Baltimore 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART.  321 

and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Abbott  Rolling  Mills,  a 
large  concern  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  plate  iron. 
In  1 86 1  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  these  extensive  mills, 
in  which  armor  plates  for  the  ironclads  were  made.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  was  sent  to  Virginia  to  manage  a 
large  iron  property,  where  he  became  interested  in  the 
mining  of  iron  ores  and  clays.    In  1871,  the  offer  of  an 


159. — Mr.  David  Francis  Haynes. 

interest  in  a  crockery  jobbing  house  brought  him  back  to 
Baltimore  and  to  the  handling  again  of  the  wares  for 
which  he  had  always  retained  a  fondness. 

On  purchasing  the  Chesapeake  Pottery  property,  Mr. 
Haynes  entered  at  once  into  the  congenial  work  of  pro- 
ducing a  variety  of  wares,  being  greatly  aided  by  the 

knowledge  gained  in  the  jobbing  trade  of  the  productions 

15 


322 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


of  the  Old  World  and  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  Ameri- 
can people.  Finding  that  but  little  attention  had  been 
paid  in  this  country  to  original  designing  for  pottery  pur- 
poses, and  that  practical,  trained  modellers,  who  possessed 
artistic  sense,  were  difficult  to  procure,  he  commenced  to 
design  wares  for  the  Chesapeake  Pottery  himself.  The 
result  of  his  patient  study  and  constant  practice  are  re- 
vealed in  his  wealth  of  beautiful  creations  which  have 
been  copied  extensively  both  in  this  country  and  abroad. 
No  one  of  our  potters  has  done  more  to  refine  the  wares 
for  daily  household  use  than  Mr.  Haynes.  He  has  always 
held  it  to  be  of  much  greater  importance  to  elevate  the 
quality,  as  far  as  possible,  of  the  entire  pottery  product  of 
the  country,  than  to  produce  a  few  fine  pieces  that  should 
be  within  the  reach  of  only  the  wealthy.  To  make  the 
cup  and  jug  of  the  plainest  home  a  thing  of  beauty  has 
been  his  ruling  motive.  With  this  in  view,  he  has  been 
constant  in  his  endeavor  to  have  the  United  States 
Potters'  Association  take  up  the  work  of  establishing  a 
pottery  training  school,  the  benefits  of  which  would  be 
shared  by  the  entire  craft. 

Mr.  Edwin  Houston  Bennett,  the  junior  member  of 
the  firm,  is  a  son  of  Mr.  Edwin  Bennett,  one  of  the 
pioneer  potters  of  this  country.  The  former  was  born  in 
Baltimore  and  his  business  life  has  been  spent  in  pottery 
work.  His  painstaking  experiments  in  the  firing  of  kilns 
and  the  making  of  wares  have  placed  him  prominently 
among  the  rising  practical  potters  in  this  country,  and 
made  his  share  in  the  progressive  work  which  is  being 
done  at  the  Chesapeake  Pottery  an  important  one. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART  323 

When  this  factory  was  started,  majolica  ware  was  in 
great  demand.  Its  first  product  was  called  "  Clifton  " 
ware,  and  belonged  to  the  majolica  family,  but  was  supe- 
rior in  body  and  glaze,  and  was  pronounced  by  judges 
equal  to  the  famous  Wedgwood  ware  of  that  grade. 
Following  this  came  the  "  Avalon  "  ware,  which  was  of  a 
fine  body,  of  ivory  tint  and  soft  rich  glaze,  ornamented 


160. — "Severn"  Ware.    Chesapeake  Pottery. 


with  sprays  of  flowers  in  relief,  which  were  touched  with 
color  and  gold,  making  a  pleasing  decoration.  The 
"  Calvertine  "  ware,  made  about  the  same  time,  was  simi- 
lar in  its  composition  to  the  "  Avalon,"  but  quite  different 
in  decorative  treatment,  being  turned  upon  the  lathe,  with 
spaces  for  bands,  upon  which  were  overlaid  conventional 


324  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 

relief  ornaments,  which  produced  a  refined  effect  when 
treated  with  delicate  colors  and  outlined  with  darker  tints 
of  gold. 

In  1885  parian  wares  were  produced,  with  modelled 
flowers,  panels  with  heads  in  relief,  medallions  of  Thor- 


161. — Castilian  and  Alsatian  Semi-Porcelain  Toilet  Ware.  Chesapeake 

Pottery. 

waldsen's  "  Seasons,"  and  similar  works,  which  received 
the  commendations  of  experts  for  the  mellow  tone,  sharp- 
ness, and  rich  translucency  of  the  body.  Some  cattle-head 
plaques  in  high  relief,  modelled  by  Mr.  James  Priestman, 


DE  VEL  OPM E NT  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART  325 


from  studies  of  typical  animals  in  the  noted  herd  of  Mr. 
Harvey  Adams,  were  especially  praiseworthy. 

The  most  original  and  perhaps,  all  things  considered, 
the  most  refined  and  beautiful  of  the  various  Chesapeake 
bodies  was  the  so-called  "  Severn  "  ware,  first  brought  out 
in  1885.  This  was  a  fine,  thoroughly  vitreous  body  of  a 
subtle  grayish-olive  tint,  which  was  secured,  without  any 
artificial  coloring,  by  a  combination  of  American  clays  and 


162. — Useful  and  Decorative  Semi-Porcelain  Wares.   Chesapeake  Pottery. 


other  materials.  Dr.  William  C.  Prime,  author  of  Pottery 
and  Porcelain  of  All  Times  and  Nations,  said  of  it  :  "  No 
one  who  is  interested  in  the  art  of  pottery  can  fail  to  note 
this  ware  as  marking  an  era  in  the  history  of  American 
ceramics." 

All  of  these  bodies,  excepting  the  parian,  were  made 
into  a  great  variety  of  useful  and  ornamental  articles,  such 


326         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


as  jugs,  plates,  mugs,  cups,  lamps,  vases,  pilgrim  and 
Ghooleh  bottles.  During  the  greater  part  of  this  time 
the  Chesapeake  Pottery  was  making  a  varied  line  of  toilet 
ware,  in  a  fine  ivory  body.  The  so-called  "  Roman  "  set, 
which  had  an  embossed  surface  with  an  ornamentation  of 
grape  leaves,  was  one  of  the  first  produced.  In  1886,  the 
manufacture  of  fine  semi-porcelain  was  commenced,  and 

the  "  Arundel  "  dinner  service  was  put 
upon  the  market,  the  first  work  of  the 
kind  designed  by  Mr.  Haynes,  which 
has  since  been  extensively 
copied  by  American,  Eng- 
lish, and  German  potters, 
and  sent  to  this  country  for 
sale  in  china  and  cheaper 
grades  of  ware.  Then 
came  the  u  Clifton  "  and 
"Severn"  dinner  ware 
shapes,  and  in  toilet  ware 
the  "  Breton,"  "  Castilian," 
"Aurelian,"  "Alsatian,"  and 
"  Montessan,"  all  noted  for 
their  originality,  excellence 
of  construction,  and  beauty 
of  form  and  decoration.  The  "  Castilian  "  set  is  worthy 
of  special  mention,  being  Moorish  in  form,  in  relief 
ornamentation,  and  in  color, — a  well-conceived  adaptation 
of  barbaric  ideas  to  the  use  of  the  modern  household. 

The  "  Alsatian  "  toilet  set  is  embellished  with  circular 
panels  on  opposite  sides  of  each  piece,  bordered  with  rich 


:  'Mm 


/Tli 


163. — "  Merchant  of  Venice"  Vase. 
Chesapeake  Pottery. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART.  327 

relief  ornamentation,  forming  appropriate  frames  or  set- 
tings for  pictures.  Mr.  Haynes  has  introduced,  for  one 
of  the  decorations  in  these  panels,  a  beautiful,  conven- 
tional design  of  interlacing  leaves  ;  for  another,  some  well 
drawn  peasant  heads,  and  for  a  third,  scenes  from  the 
Merchant  of  Venice,  executed  by  a  well-known  artist, 
and  printed  in  delicate  vellum  tints.  On  one  side  the 
trial  scene  is  depicted,  where  Portia  says,  "  The  quality  of 
mercy  is  not  strained — it  droppeth  as  the  gentle  rain  from 


164. — Montessan  Semi-Porcelain  Toilet  Set.    Chesapeake  Pottery. 

heaven,"  and  on  the  other  the  scene  between  Antonio, 
Bassanio,  and  Shylock,  in  which  the  latter  exclaims,  il  And 
for  these  courtesies  I  '11  lend  you  thus  much  monies  " 
(see  111.  163). 

The  Montessan  toilet  set  is  quartered  with  strips  of 
pleasing  relief  work  and  the  handles  bear  a  grotesque 
head,  full  of  life  and  spirit.  The  color  decorations  are 
suited  to  the  form,  and  in  treatment  suggest  the  Rococo 


328         PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


style  which  prevailed  about  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century.  This  set  was  not  exhibited  until  late  in  January, 
1892,  but  was  copied  by  a  celebrated  English  firm  and 
displayed  in  their  London  warerooms  in  May  following, — 
a  decided  compliment  to  American  work. 

The  latest  achievements  of  the  Chesapeake  Pottery 
are  a  line  of  parlor  and  banquet  lamps,  clocks,  and  large 
decorative  vases,  all  characterized  by  originality  of  design, 
grace  of  form,  and  delicacy  of  execution. 


!65. — Lamps  and  Vases.    Chesapeake  Pottery. 


Mr.  Haynes  has  also  recently  designed  a  porcelain 
"  Pompadour  "  clock  case,  with  Rococo  relief  ornamenta- 
tion and  finished  in  rich  gold  (111.  166).  It  measures 
fourteen  and  one-half  inches  in  height. 

At  the  exhibition  of  American  pottery  held  in  Me- 
morial Hall,  Philadelphia,  in  the  autumn  of  1889,  Miss 
Fannie  Haynes,  daughter  of  Mr.  D.  F.  Haynes,  entered 
in  competition  a  large  vase  which  attracted  considerable 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  AR  T  329 


attention  and  took  one  of  the  prizes,  and  was  afterwards 
purchased  by  the  trustees  of  the  Museum  for  the  perma- 
nent collection.  The  chief  merit  of  the  work  lies  in  the 
genuine  Moorish  feeling  in  the  relief  ornament  and  its 
color  treatment,  but  the  Arabic  character  of  the  English 
inscription,  "  In  the  History 
of  Pottery  Read  the  Story 
of  the  Race,"  which  forms 
part  of  the  decoration,  is 
particularly  marked,  and 
strongly  resembles,  at  a 
short  distance,  a  real  bit  of 
Oriental  lettering.  Miss 
Haynes  has  inherited  a  fond- 
ness for  decorative  work. 
She  studied  in  design  at 
the  Maryland  Institute  Art 
Schools,  and  afterwards  in 
the  Metropolitan  Museum 
Schools  in  New  York,  then 
gave  instruction  in  model- 
ling in  the  Pratt  Institute 
Schools  of  Brooklyn,  New 
York.  At  present  she  is 
engaged  in  making  designs 

for  leading  manufacturers  of  silks  and  silkoline  fabrics 
in  New  York. 

The  most  important,  and  perhaps  the  most  artistic, 
piece  of  ware  thus  far  produced  by  Messrs.  Haynes,  Ben- 
nett, &  Co.  is  the  "  Calvert  "  vase,  shown  at  the  Columbian 


166. — Porcelain  Clock.  Chesapeake 
Pottery. 


3  3  o  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  PGR  CELA  IN. 


Exposition  for  the  first  time.  It  measures  twenty-eight 
inches  in  height  and  twenty-six  in  width,  including  the 
handles,  which  are  in  the  resemblance  of  winged  female 
figures  terminating  at  the  base  in  a  richly  foliated  orna- 
ment. The  lid  or  cover  of  the  vase  is  surmounted  by  a 
well  executed  flame-point,  which  emphasizes  the  Renais- 
sance treatment  of  the 
entire  piece.  Bands 
of  rich  relief  orna- 
mentation around  the 
neck,  on  the  shoulder, 
and  about  the  foot 
and  lower  portion,  en- 
hance the  beauty  of 
the  fine  lines  in  the 
form.  This  vase  was 
designed  by  Mr. 
Haynes,  and  the 
handles  were  modelled 
after  ideas  of  his  and 
under  his  direction  by 
Mr.  Fred  E.  Mayer, 
a  young  man  of  con- 
siderable talent,  who 
studied  under  Prof.  L.  W.  Miller  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art,  Philadelphia. 

Several  copies  of  the  "  Calvert"  vase  have  been  made, 
and  decorated  in  widely  divergent  styles.  One  of  these 
shows  a  delicate  tinting  of  the  handles  and  all  the  relief 
work  in  a  pale  marine  or  turquoise  green  of  mat  or  satin 


167. — Moorish  Vase  Designed  by  Miss 
Fannie  Haynes.  Collection  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Art,  Phila- 
delphia. 


DE  VEL  OPMENT  OE  THE  CERA  MIC  ART.  331 


finish,  enriched  with  dead  gold,  the  contrast  of  this  combi- 
nation with  those  parts  of  the  body  and  cover  that  are  left 
white  producing  a  refined  and  beautiful  effect.  The  entire 
treatment  of  the  vase  is  characteristic  of  Chesapeake 
Pottery  work. 

Another  example  is  entirely  covered  with  a  rich  dark 
Pompadour  red,  the  raised  horizontal  lines  of  the  orna- 


168. — "Calvert"  Vase.    Chesapeake  Pottery. 


mentation  being  overlaid  with  gold,  combining  richness 
and  strong  color  effect  with  simplicity.  A  third  style  of 
decorative  finish  is  after  Worcester  methods,  the  treat- 
ment having  been  left  to  Mr.  Scott  Callowhill  of  Trenton, 
an  artist  formerly  employed  at  the  Worcester  works,  who 
found  in  this  vase  a  subject  worthy  of  his  best  effort 


332  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Mr.  Haynes  has  also  recently  worked  out  a  strong 
design  for  a  water  filter  of  large  proportions,  one  of  the 
decorations  for  it  being  an  effective  all-over  pattern  made 
up  of  the  fleur-de-lis  and  a  quartered  rosette,  employed 
alternately,  applied  in  deep  underglaze  blu^. 


THE   PAULINE   POTTERY  COMPANY. 


In  1883  Mrs.  Pauline  Jacobus  started  a  small  work- 
shop in  Chicago  under  the  name  of  the  Pauline  Pottery, 
which  consisted  of  one  small  kiln  and  employed  a  single 
presser  and  a  couple  of  decorators.  In  the  spring  of 
1888  the  works  were  moved  to  Edgerton,  Wisconsin,  and 
considerably  enlarged.  At  present  the  products  of  the 
factory  are  porous  cells  for  electric  batteries  and  under- 
glaze art  ware.  Thirteen  ladies  find  employment  here, 
under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Jacobus,  in  painting  on  the 
biscuit.  On  the  removal  of  the  works  to  Edgerton  the 
Pauline  Pottery  Company  was  incorporated  under  the 
laws  of  Wisconsin  and  the  business  has  steadily  increased, 
until  at  present  thirty-five  hands  are  engaged  in  producing 
the  wares  for  the  market.  The  decoration  of  the  art 
wares  is  entirely  underglaze,  and  the  forms  of  the  pieces 
are  ornate  and  graceful.  Ewers,  vases,  flower  jars,  bon- 
bon boxes,  candlesticks,  lamp  stands,  and  fancy  designs 
are  produced  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  painting  is 
done  entirely  with  the  brush,  frequently  in  the  Japanese 
style.  The  body  of  the  ware  is  light  and  porous,  resem- 
bling the  ordinary  Japanese  Kioto  ware.  The  resem- 
blance is  particularly  apparent  in  examples  in  which  the 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CERAMIC  ART  333 


entire  surface  of  the  glaze  is  covered  with  fine  crackling. 
Modern  Italian  majolica  ware  is  also  imitated  here  to 
some  extent. 

The  Onondaga  Pottery  Company,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
produce  white  granite  and  cream-colored  wares,  in  plain 
and  decorated  dinner  and  toilet  services. 

The  Mayer  Pottery  Company,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa., 


169. — Pauline  Art  Pottery,  Edgerton,  Wis. 

manufacture  stone  china,  lustre  band,  sprig  ware,  and 
decorated  goods. 

Messrs.  Goodwin  Brothers  operate  an  establishment 
at  Elmwood,  near  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  they  own  ex- 
tensive clay  beds.  They  produce  cream-colored,  Rock- 
ingham, yellow,  and  terra-cotta  goods.  The  latter 
include  an  extensive  variety  of  fancy  flower-pots,  hanging 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


baskets,  vases,  both  ornamental  and  plain  for  decorators, 
cuspidors,  jardinieres,  umbrella  jars,  and  fancy  lamp- 
stands,  hand  decorated  in  colored  and  rustic  designs, 
bronzed,  silvered,  and  lustred.  They  also  have  salesrooms 
in  New  York  City. 

The  Nashville  Art  Pottery  was  making  in  1886  a  fine 
red  ware  with  good  brown  glaze,  in  artistic  shapes.  Ex- 
amples may  be  seen  in  the  Trumbull-Prime  collection, 
now  on  exhibition  at  Princeton  College. 

The  Charles  Graham  Chemical  Pottery  Works,  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  one  of  the  most  extensive  in  this  country, 
produce  chemical  stoneware  of  every  description,  porce- 
lain-lined earthenware  wash-trays,  fire-bricks,  and  acid 
receivers  up  to  500  gallons  capacity. 

The  Akron  Stoneware  Agency,  of  Akron,  Ohio,  of 
which  the  Boston  Pottery  Co.  is  a  branch,  manufactures 
extensive  lines  of  stoneware,  Rockingham,  and  yellow 
wares,  in  the  usual  utilitarian  forms,  such  as  jugs,  jars, 
pitchers,  flower-pots,  bottles,  spittoons,  and  household 
utensils.  In  Akron  there  are  fifteen  establishments  where 
clay  and  pottery  products  are  made. 

The  Warwick  China  Company  was  organized  in 
Wheeling  in  1887,  °f  which  Mr.  J.  R.  McCourtney  was 
the  first  president  and  Mr.  George  Bradshaw,  formerly 
foreman  for  Mr.  Homer  Laughlin,  of  East  Liverpool, 
manager.  Mr.  O.  C.  Dewey  succeeded  to  the  presidency 
in  the  following  year,  and  in  1889,  on  the  resignation  of 
Mr.  Dewey,  Mr.  Charles  W.  Franzheim,  then  vice-president 
of  the  Wheeling  Pottery  Company,  became  president  of 
the  Warwick  China  Company,  and  still  holds  that  posi- 


DE  VEL  OPMENT  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART.  335 


tion.  The  products  of  this  factory  are  semi-porcelain 
dinner,  tea,  and  toilet  ware. 

In  1887  or  1888  the  West  Virginia  China  Company 
was  established,  with  Mr.  Wm.  L.  Hearne  president  and 
Mr.  James  Clarke,  formerly  of  the  Trenton  China  Company, 
manager.  This  company  was  re-organized  about  two 
years  ago  under  the  name  of  the  Ohio  Valley  China  Com- 
pany (which  see). 

Summer  visitors  to  Martha's  Vineyard  are  familiar 
with  the  peculiar  earthenware  which  is  made  at  the  Gay 
Head  Pottery  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Willard,  Cottage  City,  Mass., 
which  is  fashioned  in  plain  vase  forms  from  variegated 
clays  found  at  the  west  end  of  the  island.  These  deposits 
are  bright  red,  light  blue,  and  drab,  and  the  peculiarity  of 
the  ware  is  that  it  is  not  burned,  but  sun-dried,  and  con- 
sequently not  intended  for  use,  but  merely  for  ornament. 
The  different  colored  clays  are  ground  separately,  placed 
together  in  a  ball,  and  turned  into  shape,  and  when  par- 
tially dry  the  vessel  is  shaved  and  then  allowed  to  harden 
in  the  sun.  The  surface  presents  the  appearance  of 
striped  stoneware,  without  glazing,  the  bands  of  red,  blue, 
and  slate-colored  clays  being  distinct  and  remarkably 
brilliant.  Articles  are  also  made  from  the  red  clay  and 
burned,  but  the  coloring  disappears  in  the  kiln,  and  con- 
sequently much  of  the  ware  is  sold  in  an  unbaked  state 
to  curiosity  hunters,  in  order  to  preserve  the  natural  hues 
of  the  clays.  This  pottery  gives  employment  to  several 
hands  and  has  been  in  operation  for  about  fourteen 
years. 


33^ 


POT TER  Y  A ND  FOR CELA IN. 


THE  LONHUDA  POTTERY  CO. 

An  art  pottery  has  been  recently  established  in  Steub- 
enville,  Ohio,  for  the  manufacture  of  underglaze  faience. 
The  firm,  which  is  known  as  the  Lonhuda  Pottery  Com- 
pany, is  composed  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Long,  chemist,  Mr.  W. 
H.  Hunter,  editor  of  the  Steubenville  Daily  Gazette,  and 
Mr.  Alfred  Day,  secretary  of  the  United  States  Potters' 


170. — Lonhuda  Pottery. 

Association.  Mr.  Long  has  for  some  years  been  engaged 
in  experimenting  with  clays  and  colors  suitable  for  under- 
glaze decoration,  with  a  view  to  producing  a  high  class 
pottery  which  should  be  characteristically  American. 

The  forms  of  vessels  have,  in  a  great  measure,  been 
suggested  by  examples  of  Chiriqui  and  other  Indian  wares 


BE  VEL  OPM EN  T  OF  THE  CERA  MIC  ART  337 


in  the  collection  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Wash- 
ington. In  addition  to  the  monogram  of  the  company, 
which  has  been  used  as  a  factory  mark,  the  impressed 
figure  of  an  Indian's  head  has  been  adopted  for  use  on  such 
pieces  as  are  distinctively  American  in  shape. 

The  colors  used  are  mixed  with  clays  to  heighten  or 
soften  the  lights,  and  applied  in  colored  slips  to  the  green 
body,  over  the  tinted  and  blended  grounds  of  refined 
tones  of  reds,  warm  browns,  yellows,  and  neutral  grays. 
After  the  first  firing  the  ware  is  covered  with  a  brilliant 
tinted  glaze.  Foreign  clays  are  used  almost  exclusively 
in  the  body,  which  is  more  or  less  vitreous  and  of  a  yel- 
lowish color.  The  product  is  ornamental  rather  than 
utilitarian,  consisting  mainly  of  vases,  jardinieres,  and 
small  articles  for  household  use.  The  shapes  are  simple 
and  graceful  in  outline,  and  the  decorations  are  the  work 
of  competent  artists,  among  whom  is  Miss  Laura  A.  Fry, 

formerly  of  Cincinnati. 

22 


CHAPTER  XV. 


TOBACCO  PIPES. 

AS  early  as  1690  tobacco  pipes  were  made  in  Phila- 
delphia, as  stated  in  Scharf  and  Westcott's  History 
of  Philadelphia.  An  advertisement  appeared  in 
Andrew  Bradford's  American  Weekly  Mercury,  printed 
in  Philadelphia  May  12,  1720,  worded  as  follows  :  "  Good 
long  Tavern  Tobacco  Pipes  Sold  at  4s.  per  Gross  by  a 
single  Gross,  and  3s.  for  a  larger  Quantity  by  Richard 
Warder  Tobacco  Pipe  Maker  living  under  the  same 
Roof  with  Phillip  Syng  Gold  Smith,  near  the  Market 
Place,  where  also  any  that  have  occasion  may  have  their 
foul  Pipes  burnt  for  8d.  per  Gross."  These  were  doubt- 
less similar  to  the  long-stemmed  white  clay  pipes  which 
had  been  made  at  Gouda,  Holland,  and  Broseley,  Eng- 
land, for  upwards  of  a  century.  The  first  tobacco  pipes 
made  were  fashioned  of  clay  or  stone  by  the  aborigines  of 
North  America,  and  Indian  pipes  were  carried  to  Europe 
in  1586  to  serve  as  models  for  the  first  civilized  smoking 
utensils  for  the  propagation  of  a  savage  custom. 

The  Moravians  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  made  clay  smoking 
pipes  in  the  last  century,  but  as  to  exact  form  and  date 
of  manufacture  I  have  not  been  able  to  procure  definite 

338 


TOBACCO  PIPES. 


339 


information.  Mr.  Robert  Rau,  of  that  place,  is  my 
authority  for  the  statement  that  plain  pipe-bowls,  some 
white  and  some  green,  made  without  stems,  were  pro- 
duced by  these  people  probably  within  the  first  decade  of 
this  century.  Long-stemmed  pipes  seem  to  have  been 
superseded  by  bowls  about  that  time,  and  during  the 
ensuing  thirty  years  or  so  numerous  local  potteries 
throughout  Pennsylvania  and  other  sections  took  up  this 
branch  of  manufacture. 

About  the  year  1810  Adam  Maize,  of  New  Berlin, 
Union  County  (then  Northumberland),  Pa.,  was  making 
pipe-bowls  in  the  form  of  a  man's  head,  and  prior  to  1825, 
when  he  quit  the  business  to  enter  politics,  Philip  See- 
bold,  who  had  learned  his  trade  with  Maize,  made  the 
same  style  of  bowl.  The  manufacture,  however,  was  con- 
tinued at  both  potteries  until  about  1845,  when  outside 
competition  caused  it  to  cease. 

Previous  to  1830  Christian  Evil  and  Charles  Zorn  had 
potteries  in  Berlin,  Somerset  County,  Pa.,  where  they 
made  pipe-bowls  in  the  form  of  a  man's  head.  Jacob 
Swope  owned  a  pottery  one  mile  north  of  Bird-in-Hand, 
Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  about  1820.  His  son,  Zuriel 
Swope,  happened  one  day  when  a  lad,  as  he  was  passing 
along  a  street  in  Lancaster,  to  see  one  of  the  black-glazed 
pipe-bowls  from  Berlin  in  the  window  of  a  jeweller's  shop, 
and,  attracted  by  its  novelty,  went  in  and  purchased  it  for 
three  cents.  He  then  commenced  making-  similar  bowls 
at  his  father's  pottery.  His  first  mould  was  constructed 
of  lead,  which,  proving  too  soft,  was  replaced  by  one 
made  of  block  tin.     He  manufactured,  without  assistance, 


340 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


as  many  as  three  hundred  pipe-bowls  in  a  day,  which  he 
took  to  Lancaster  and  sold  for  a  cent  each. 

About  1840  Samuel  Sturgis  was  making  quite  exten- 
sively, at  Lititz,  in  the  same  county,  similar  pipe-heads, 
which  he  sold  largely  to  tobacconists  in  Philadelphia  and 
other  places.  These  were  made  in  half  a  dozen  different 
designs,  and,  being  well  burned  and  covered  with  green, 

brown,  or  yellow  glaze, 
were  very  popular  with 
the  smokers  of  that 
day.  At  an  earlier 
date  earthen  and 
stoneware  had  been 
made  there  by  Mr. 
Sturgis  and  by  Joseph 
Sturgis,  his  father. 
The  business  was  dis- 
continued in  1843,  on 
the  death  of  the 
former.  Mr.  C.  W. 
Sturgis,  his  son,  resid- 
ing in  Lancaster,  in- 
formed me  that  several 
of  the  old  pipe-moulds  are  still  in  possession  of  the 
family. 

Some  years  after  the  discontinuance  of  the  Lititz  pot- 
tery, about  1856,  John  Gibble,  of  Manheim,  commenced 
to  make  pipes  of  red  clay,  covered  with  a  brown  glaze,  in 
the  shape  of  an  Indian's  head.  Mr.  Gibble,  son  of  the 
original  owner,  is  still  in  the  business,  and  has  sent  me 


171. 


-Glazing  Rack  for  Pipes. 
Gibble  Pottery. 


TOBACCO  PIPES. 


34i 


several  samples  of  this  form,  together  with  one  of  the 
hand-made  clay  racks,  furnished  with  numerous  hooked 
arms,  on  which  the  pipe  bowls  were  hung  to  dry  after 
being  glazed,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  cut  (111.  171). 

In  1858,  Mr.  J.  Richards  manufactured  white  clay 
smoking-pipes  of  different  lengths  and  of  good  quality,  in 
Oxford  Street,  above  Frankford  Road,  Kensington,  Phila- 
delphia. He  sent  to  England  for  potters  who  had  learned 
this  branch  of  the  art. 

Ten  years  ago,  Mr.  A.  Peyrau,  a  Frenchman,  was 
making  in  New  York  City,  light  red,  unglazed  terra-cotta 


172. — Terra-Cotta  Pipe  Heads.    A.  Peyrau,  N.  Y.    Collection  of 

Jerome  B.  Gray. 


pipe  heads.  These  were  caricatures  of  prominent  Ameri- 
cans and  character  sculptures.  The  modelling  was  done 
with  boldness  and  remarkable  fidelity  to  nature.  The 
production  of  these  portrait  heads  was  discontinued  several 
years  ago  on  account  of  the  expense  of  manufacture  and 
the  limited  demand  for  a  high-priced  article  of  this 
nature. 

At  present  there  are  numerous  tobacco-pipe  manufac- 
tories scattered  throughout  the  United  States,  of  which 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


one  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  another  at  Fulton,  111.,  and  several 
in  Virginia,  are  probably  among  the  most  important. 

Short-stemmed  white  clay  pipes  were  made  for  the 
Presidential  campaigns  of  1888  and  1892,  with  portrait 
bowls  representing  Harrison  and  Cleveland,  by  Charles 
Kurth,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Excellent  pipe  clays  are  found  at  Hockessin,  Delaware, 
and  at  other  points  in  Indiana  and  Missouri,  suitable  for 
white  pipes,  while  in  the  latter  State  a  red  clay  occurs 
which  is  used  extensively  in  the  manufacture  of  red 
bowls. 

Many  pipes  of  early  English  and  Dutch  origin  have 
been  found  in  old  Indian  graves  in  the  United  States,  in- 
cluding some  of  the  "  Fairy  Pipes  "  with  diminutive  bowls, 
which  were  brought  to  this  country  by  white  settlers  and 
traded  to  the  Indians  perhaps  two  hundred  years  or  more 
ago.  Dr.  Charles  C.  Abbott  has  recently  made  an  inter- 
esting discovery  of  a  large  number  of  old  Dutch  and 
English  clay  pipes  in  the  ruins  of  an  old  building  on  an 
island  in  the  Delaware  River. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 

THE  first  wall  and  paving  tiles  produced  in  the 
United  States  were  probably  made  at  the  factory 
of  Abraham  Miller  in  Philadelphia.  About  1845 
one  of  his  workmen,  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Darragh,  who,  in 
1838,  when  a  lad  of  fourteen,  went  to  Mr.  Miller  to  learn 
the  potting  trade  and  remained  with  him  for  twenty  years 
as  apprentice  and  journeyman,  now  with  the  firm  of 
Hyzer  &  Lewellen,  of  Philadelphia,  made  for  Mr.  Miller 
some  Rockingham  tiles  of  large  size,  probably  measuring 
nine  by  eighteen  inches,  which  were  used  for  facing  the 
outside  of  the  warehouse.  Mr.  Darragh  also  produced 
some  mottled  tiles  of  various  colors  for  paving  in  front 
of  Mr.  Miller's  residence,  on  the  north  side  of  Spruce 
Street  east  of  Broad.  Miller  was  making  at  that  time  an 
octagonal  spittoon  for  the  market.  By  cutting  these  hori- 
zontally in  half  he  procured  an  ornamental  pattern  of 
novel  effect  which  he  utilized  as  wall  tiles,  by  forming  a 
border  of  them  around  the  ceiling  of  his  office.  The  idea 
was  original  and  characteristic  of  the  man. 

At  the  United  States  Pottery,  Bennington,  Vt.,  ex- 
periments were  made  with  inlaid  tiles  in  1853,  and  a 

343 


344 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


sufficient  number  were  produced  to  cover  a  floor  space  of 
seven  feet  square,  underlying  the  exhibit  of  this  factory 
at  the  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition  which  was  held  in  New 
York  in  that  year.  These  tiles  were  about  ten  inches 
square  and  made  by  the  wet-clay  process.  The  body  was 
white,  inlaid  with  variegated  colors,  the  designs  consisting 

of  ornamental  centre-piece 
and  border  with  the  Ameri- 
can flag  in  each  corner.  It 
is  not  known  what  disposition 
was  made  of  this  tile  floor 
after  the  exhibition,  and  it 
seems  that  the  difficulties 
encountered  in  making  these 
examples  deterred  the  com- 
pany from  continuing  ex- 
periments further  in  this 
direction. 

Previous  to  1872,  Messrs. 
Hyzer  &  Lewellen,  of  Phila- 
delphia, were  experimenting 
in  floor  tiles,  and  I  have 
before  me  some  interesting 
examples  of  these  early  at- 
tempts. Their  first  efforts 
were  directed  to  the  manufacture  of  encaustic  tiles  of 
geometrical  shapes, — square,  diamond,  and  triangular, — 
with  natural  and  artificially-colored  American  clays,  mainly 
buff,  red,  and  black,  the  designs  being  inlaid  to  the  depth  of 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch.    While  these  attempts  proved 


173. — Some  of  the  First  Fancy 
American  Tiles. 
Hyzer  &  Lewellen. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


345 


partially  successful,  the  wet-clay  method  employed  at  that 
time  was  unsatisfactory,  because  the  shrinkage  was  found 
to  be  irregular  and  the  pieces  came  from  the  kiln  of  differ- 
ent thickness.  The  next  experiments  were  made  by  the 
damp-dust  process,  which  has  been  employed  ever  since. 
The  accompanying  illustration  will  show  two  forms  of 
geometrical  wall  tiles  which  were  made  previous  to  1876. 
They  are  plain  tiles  of  yellow  clay,  of  great  hardness,  the 
glaze  being  also  hard  and  entirely  free  from  "  crazing,"  and 
fully  equal  in  all  respects  to  anything  of  the  kind  which 
has  since  been  produced  in  this  country.  The  hexagonal 
specimen  figured  is  decorated  with  painted  designs  above 
the  glaze,  consisting  of  a  green  vine  on  a  buff  ground, 
with  a  red  centre  outlined  in  black.  The  lozenge-shaped 
example  is  painted  with  a  black  device  on  a  lemon-colored 
ground.  Later,  several  patterns  of  six-inch  unglazed 
mantel  tiles,  with  conventional  floral  decoration  in  low 
relief,  were  produced,  but  the  manufacture  of  ornamental 
tiles  was  only  carried  on  a  short  time.  At  present  this 
firm  makes  a  specialty  of  plain  geometrical  floor  tiles  of 
different  colored  bodies  and  of  exceeding  hardness.  The 
clay  used  is  fine  and  homogeneous,  and  when  burned 
almost  approaches  stoneware.  They  also  manufacture 
fire-brick,  furnaces,  cylinders,  dental  muffles,  and  stove- 
linings.  Furnace  tests  of  the  standing-up  power  of  the 
best  known  fire-bricks,  instituted  by  the  Second  Geologi- 
cal Survey  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1876,  at  Harrisburg, 
showed  that  the  productions  of  Messrs.  Hyzer&  Lewellen 
were  superior  in  heat-resisting  qualities  to  all  others 
that  were  submitted  for  examination. 


34^ 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


THE  LOW  ART  TILE  COMPANY. 


174. — A  "Low"  Tile. 


Mr.  John  G. 
Low,  the  founder  of 
the  Low  Art  Tile 
Works,  was  born  in 
Chelsea,  Mass.,  in 
1 835,  where  five 
generations  of  the 
same  name  had  pre- 
ceded him.  From 
the  age  of  sixteen 
until  the  year  1877 
he  devoted  himself 
to  various  lines  of 
painting,  commencing  with  fresco  and  decorative  work. 
In  1858  he  went  to  Paris,  where  he  studied  with  Thomas 
Couture  and  with  M.  Troyon,  the  celebrated  cattle 
painter,  for  three  years.  In  1877  he  became  deeply 
interested  in  ceramic  manufactures,  and,  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  formed  a  copartnership  with  his  father,  Hon. 
John  Low,  and  at  once  commenced  the  erection  of  a 
tile  manufactory  in  his  native  place.  Having  never 
seen  a  tile  made  in  any  factory,  he  began  experimenting 
on  purely  original  lines  and  soon  overcame  the  mechani- 
cal difficulties  which  presented  themselves.  A  novel 
method  was  resorted  to  in  the  ornamentation  of  his 
earlier  productions,  which  he  patented  and  called  the 
"  natural  "  process.  To  secure  accurate  impressions  of  deli- 
cate objects,  such  as  grasses,  leaves,  laces,  etc.,  the  article 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


347 


to  be  reproduced  was  placed  on  the  surface  of  the  lightly 
shaped  and  unburned  tile  and  forced  into  the  clay  by 
means  of  a  screw  press.  On  this  impression  was  spread 
a  piece  of  tissue  paper,  and  over  this  was  piled  a  quantity 
of  the  prepared  dust,  which  was  subjected  to  a  second 


175. — View  of  the  Low  Art  Tile  Works,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

pressure.  The  tile,  or  pair  of  tiles,  of  double  thickness, 
was  then  separated  and  the  paper  removed,  when  the  im- 
pressions of  the  objects  appeared  in  relief  and  intaglio, 
showing  every  minute  detail  of  marking.  These  Mr.  Low 
called  "  natural  tiles." 


348 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


The  method  employed  in  making  embossed  or  relief 
tiles  is  that  now  used  by  all  tile  works  in  this  country, 
which  was  patented  by  Mr.  Richard  Prosser,  in  England, 
in  1840,  for  making  buttons,  and  shortly  after  applied  by 
Mr.  J.  M.  Blashfield  to  the  manufacture  of  tiles,  called 
the  "  dust  "  process,  which  consists  in  slightly  moistening 
the  dry,  powdered  clay  and  subjecting  it  to  great  pres- 
sure in  dies  containing  the  designs  to  be  impressed  upon 

them.  They  are  then  burned 


J 


176.— An  F.  S.  A. 


and  afterwards  glazed  or 
enamelled  in  delicate  colors. 

In  a  little  more  than 
a  year  after  the  works  were 
started,  we  find  this  firm 
competing  with  English  tile- 
makers  at  the  Exhibition 
at  Crewe,  Stoke-on-Trent, 
which  was  conducted  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Royal 
Manchester,  Liverpool,  and 
North  Lancashire  Agricultural  Society,  one  of  the  oldest 
in  England.  There  they  won  the  gold  medal  over  all  the 
manufacturers  of  the  United  Kingdom  for  the  best  series 
of  art  tiles  exhibited.  This  record,  probably  unsurpassed 
in  ceramic  history,  serves  to  illustrate  the  remarkably 
rapid  development  of  an  industry  new  in  America  but  old 
in  the  East,  and  shows  the  vast  resources  at  command  of 
the  American  potter. 

In  1883  Hon.  John  Low  retired  from  the  firm  and  Mr. 
John  F.  Low  became  associated  with  his  father  under  the 
style  of  J.  G.  &  J.  F.  Low. 


35o 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Mr.  Arthur  Osborne,  who  has  designed  the  majority 
of  the  tiles  produced  here,  joined  the  Lows  a  few  months 
after  they  commenced  experimenting,  and  is  still  con- 
nected with  the  factory.    He  is  a  talented  and  versatile 


No.  178. — Tile  Stove. 

young  artist,  whose  conceptions  are  chaste  and  classic  and 
possess  marked  originality.  Among  his  numerous  designs 
are  ideal  heads,  mythological  subjects,  portraits,  Japanese 
sketches,  and  an  almost  endless  variety  of  animal,  bird, 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


35i 


and  floral  studies.  His  "plastic  sketches,"  on  a  larger 
scale,  are  particularly  meritorious,  some  of  the  most 
pleasing  being  a  group  of  sheep  in  a  pasture,  a  drove  of 
swine  entitled  "  Late  for  Dinner,"  a  herd  of  cattle  wending 
their  way  homeward  (111.  177),  and  "  The  Old  Windmill." 
These  are  made  of  plastic  clay,  called  the  "  wet-clay  "  pro- 
cess, and  vary  in  size  to  upwards  of  eighteen  inches  in 
length.    A  beautiful  conceit  is  the  **  Fleeting  Moments," 


i  ' 

No.  179. — Panel  for  Soda  Fountain. 

in  which  three  cupids  hover  around  an  hour-glass,  one 
being  depicted  in  the  act  of  winging  his  way  upwards. 
In  the  high-relief  tiles  the  undercutting  is  done  by  hand 
after  the  designs  have  been  stamped  in  the  press. 

The  Low  Art  Tile  Co.  also  manufacture  mantel- 
facings,  panels,  stove-tiles,  calendar  tiles,  clothes  hooks, 
paper-weights,  inkstands,  clock  cases,  candlesticks,  bon- 
bon boxes,  and  at  one  time  made  to  some  extent  ewers 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


and  vases  with  relief  ornamentation,  or  in  plain  colors, 
enamelled  and  glazed.  They  at  one  time  also  made  tile 
stoves.  Lately  they  have  been  making  a  specialty  of  the 
manufacture  of  art-tile  soda  fountains,  in  which  work  Mr. 
Osborne  has  found  a  broader  field  for  the  exercise  of  his 
talents. 


180. — Hon.  John  G.  Low. 


A  superb  fountain  made  by  this  firm,  and  exhibited  at 
the  Chicago  Exhibition,  is  probably  the  most  elaborate 
piece  of  work  produced  by  them.  As  an  example  of  tile- 
modelling  it  has  not  been  surpassed.  The  centre  panel, 
measuring  about  six  feet  in  width  by  five  in  height,  is 
arched  at  the  top,  and  on  each  side  is  a  smaller  panel  of 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


353 


the  same  form.  The  design  of  the  central  piece  consists 
of  a  group  of  human  figures  in  high  relief  surrounding  a 
fountain,  and  Cupids  form  the  subject-design  of  the  lateral 
panels.  The  delicate  olive  glaze  which  covers  the  tile- 
work  produces  a  rich  and  harmonious  effect. 

The  Lows  have  never  imitated  other  work,  either  do- 
mestic or  foreign.  They  have  never  made  hand-painted, 
mosaic,  printed,  encaustic,  or  floor  tiles,  and  they  have 
never  employed  men  who  were  trained  in  other  tile 
works.  Consequently  their  products  are  characterized 
by  a  marked  originality,  both  in  style  and  design,  which 
has  caused  them  to  be  extensively  imitated,  both  at  home 
and  abroad. 

THE  AMERICAN    ENCAUSTIC  TILING  CO. 

was  projected  in  1875  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  by  a  former 
resident  of  that  place,  who,  while  engaged  in  business  in 
New  York,  had  succeeded  in  interesting  some  capitalists 
of  that  city  in  the  manufacture  of  flooring  tiles  from 
Ohio  clays.  The  first  experiments  not  proving  satisfac- 
tory, Mr.  George  A.  Stanbery,  a  mechanical  engineer, 
who  had  been  a  commissioner  to  the  Vienna  Exposition, 
was  engaged  to  take  charge  of  the  works,  and  through 
his  energy  and  ability,  with  the  financial  aid  of  Mr.  B. 
Fischer  of  New  York,  the  president  of  the  company,  and 
his  associates,  the  enterprise  was  finally  placed  upon  a 
paying  basis. 

In  1880  glazed  or  enamelled  tile  were  first  made  here. 

Encaustic  or  inlaid  floor  tiles  are  made  by  both  the  plastic 

23 


354 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 


and  the  damp-dust  processes,  and  the  geometrical  designs 
for  these  are  prepared  by  competent  designers,  who  are 
employed  by  the  company  for  this  purpose. 

Relief  tiles  are  also  made  here  to  a  large  extent,  de- 
signed by  Mr.  Herman  Mueller,  modeller  for  the  company, 
who  studied  in  the  Industrial  Academy  and  Preparatory 
Art  School  of  Nuremburg,  and  in  the  Art  Academy  of 
Munich.    Special  designs  have  been  produced  in  single 


i8r. — Encaustic  Tile  Design. 

panels,  twelve  by  eighteen  inches  in  dimensions,  of  which 
we  have  seen  some  female  water  carriers  of  Grecian  type. 
Plastic  sketches  of  large  size  have  also  been  executed  for 
special  orders.  Among  other  styles  produced  at  this 
factory  are  imitation  mosaic  tiles,  damask,  and  embossed 
damask-finished  tiles.  By  a  peculiar  treatment,  pictures 
and  portraits  are  also  reproduced  on  a  plain  surface.  This 
consists  in  modelling  on  a  smooth  surface  of  clay  in  in- 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


355 


taglio  and  filling  the  carved  portions  with  a  colored  glaze, 
the  shadows  being  regulated  by  the  depth  of  the  carving, 
the  high  lights  being  raised  to  near  the  level  of  the  tile. 
The  relative  thickness  of  the  glaze  produces  the  corre- 
sponding depth  of  tint,  and  the  effect  is  that  of  a  photo- 
graph or  flat  picture  instead  of  a  design  in  relief.  In  this 
manner  ideal  heads  and  faithful  portraits  have  been  suc- 
cessfully executed.  The  method  is  clearly  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustration,  which  represents  a  six-inch  tile 
in  the  biscuit  state,  and  the  same  filled  in  with  glaze,  the 
latter  being  an  excellent  like- 
ness of  Mr.  John  Hoge,  a 
director  of  the  company  (111. 

i83). 

Mr.  Karl  Langenbeck, 
the  efficient  chemist  of  the 
works,  has  had  considerable 
experience  in  analyzing  clays, 
and  has  charge  of  the  labora- 
tory of  the  company,  in  which 
experimental  tests  are  made. 

In  the  manufacture  of  tiles  many  chemical  and  mechani- 
cal problems  are  involved,  such  as  the  proper  selection  and 
combination  of  clays  to  insure  sufficient  cohesiveness  to 
dry  without  warping  or  cracking  ;  the  selection  of  a  tem- 
perature in  burning  that  will  be  suitable  to  all  the  different 
clays  ;  the  preparation  of  a  glaze  for  enamelled  tile  which 
will  possess  the  same  co-efficient  of  expansion  and  shrink- 
age as  the  clay  bodies  upon  which  it  is  placed. 

In  the  "  dust  "  process  the  prepared  materials  are  made 


182.—"  Old  Age." 


356         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


coherent  by  the  application  of  enormous  pressure,  which, 
in  this  factory,  is  obtained  by  mechanical  presses,  auto- 
matic in  action,  which  are  controlled  by  the  company,  and 
constructed  in  the  machine  shops  connected  with  the  works. 
Some  of  the  most  artistic  productions  of  this  factory 


183. — Intaglio  Portrait.  Modelled  Tile. 


are  the  eight,  ten,  and  fifteen  tile  facings,  with  raised 
designs  of  classic  female  and  child  fio-ures. 

o  o 

Before  the  new  works  were  finished,  eleven  large  kilns 
were  in  operation.  Recently  the  producing  capacity  has 
been  very  largely  increased  by  the  addition  of  twenty-eight 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


357 


kilns,  which  have  been  built  on  a  tract  of  thirty-five  acres 
in  the  city  of  Zanesville,  making  in  all  thirty-nine  kilns. 

The  new  works  are  located  on  the  western  bank  of  the 
Muskingum  River,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  and 


r      V          *  f 

|         ^      "   .-c      t'^^"      ..Kit-  *  ;~ 

1  .„    _    ■    * ' .  ■*  •  f.  ^  * 

185. — Twelve-  by  Eighteen-Inch  Panel — "  Summer."    Designed  by  Mr. 

Herman  Mueller. 


186. — Ten-Piece    Panel — Six-Inch    Tiles,    12  x  30    Inches.     Designed  by 

Herman  Mueller. 


consist  of  twenty-four  separate  buildings.  They  were 
formally  dedicated  on  the  19th  day  of  April,  1892,  when 
the  schools  of  the  city  were  closed,  and  the  business  of 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


359 


the  place  entirely  suspended,  the  citizens  giving  themselves 
up  to  the  celebration  of  the  event.  A  handsome  souvenir 
tile  was  designed  for  this  occasion  by  the  company,  of 
which  fifteen  thousand  were  distributed. 

This  company  has  recently  produced  a  new  style  of 
unglazed  floor  tiling,  in  elegant  designs  and  attractive 
coloring,  which  is  designated  by  the  name  and  trade- 
mark of  "  Alhambra."  Beautiful  soft  effects  in  carpet 
patterns  have  been  obtained  on  a  vitreous  body  of  great 
hardness.  The  tinted  arabesque  designs  are  inlaid  to  the 
depth  of  about  one  eighth  of  an  inch,  simulating  mosaic 
work. 

THE  STAR  ENCAUSTIC  TILE  COMPANY. 

The  experimental  period  of  the  present  Star  Encaustic 
Tile  Company,  Limited,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  dates  back  at 
least  twenty  years.  In  1876  a  factory  was  built  by  the 
Pittsburgh  Encaustic  Tile  Company,  Limited,  which  was 
merged  into  the  present  concern  in  1882.  The  products 
of  this  factory  are  gas-burned,  unglazed  encaustic  tile  for 
geometric  and  tesselated  pavements,  floors  and  hearths. 
The  great  variety  of  shapes  and  colors  admits  of  almost 
unlimited  combinations,  resulting  in  rich  and  pleasing 
effects.  Mr.  John  C.  Alrich  is  chairman  of  the  company 
and  Mr.  Samuel  Keys  manager. 

THE   UNITED   STATES  ENCAUSTIC  TILE  COMPANY 

of  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  was  organized  soon  after  the  Cen- 
tennial Exposition  with  Mr.  J.  G.  Douglass,  president,  Mr. 


ORNAMENTAL   TILES.  361 


W.  W.  Lyon,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Mr.  F.  H. 
Hall,  superintendent.  The  building  soon  afterwards 
burned  down  and  larger  and  more  suitable  ones  were 
erected  in  1879.  ^n  ]886  the  present  management  pur- 
chased the  business  and  changed  the  name  to  the  United 
States  Encaustic  Tile  Works.  The  plant  now  includes 
six  biscuit  and  twelve  muffle  kilns,  the  products  being 
plain,  encaustic,  enamelled,  and  relief  tiles  for  flooring, 
mantel  facings,  wainscoting,  hearths,  and  other  interior 
decoration.  The  clays  used 
for  white  bodies  come  from 
South  Carolina  and  Ken- 
tucky, and  those  for  dark 
bodies  are  obtained  from  In- 
diana. The  burning  is  done 
by  means  of  natural 
gas.  Miss  Ruth  M.  Winter- 
botham,  who  models  for  this 
manufactory,  has  produced 
many  beautiful  designs, 
notably  some  three-  and  six- 
section  panels.  A  series  of  three  mantel  panels,  represent- 
ing Dawn,  Midday,  and  Twilight,  are  particularly  deserving 
of  mention.  Recently  this  factory  has  produced  some 
effective  tiles  in  raised  blue  designs  on  a  white  ground. 
Mr.  Robert  Minton  Taylor,  of  England,  was  connected 
with  these  works  from  1881  to  1883.  The  present  officers 
are  Mr.  John  J.  Cooper,  president,  Mr.  Jackson  Landers, 
vice-president,  and  Mr.  John  Picken,  secretary  and 
treasurer. 


189.  —  Six-Inch  Relief  Tile. 
U.  S.  Encaustic  Tile  Works. 


362  PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELAIN. 


In  the  Woman's  Building,  at  the  Chicago  Fair,  Miss 
Winterbotham  exhibited  a  series  of  tiles  and  panels  which 
she  had  designed  and  modelled  for  this  company.  A 
panel  measuring  perhaps  fifteen  by  eighteen  inches,  deco- 
rated with  three  well  executed  female  figures  in  relief, 
apparently  representing  the  March  zephyrs,  attracted  con- 
siderable attention,  as  did  also  a  circular  tile  plaque, 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  with  relief  design  showing  a 
frontier  scene  with  wood-chopper,  bison,  mountains,  and 
setting  sun. 

THE  TRENT  TILE  COMPANY. 

In  1882,  the  Harris  Manufacturing  Company  was  or- 
ganized for  the  production  of  tiles,  and  shortly  afterwards 
the  name  was  changed  to  the  Trent  Tile  Company.  In 
1883  Mr.  Isaac  Broome,  who  had  formerly  been  connected 
with  the  Etruria  Pottery,  of  Trenton,  returned  to  that 
city  from  the  West  to  accept  the  position  of  designer  and 
modeller  for  the  new  company.  He  continued  in  this 
capacity  for  about  two  years,  during  which  period  he 
stocked  the  works  with  many  excellent  designs,  some  of 
which  are  still  being  produced  there. 

The  Trent  Tile  Company  is  now  making  a  specialty 
of  dull-finished  or  "  Trent  finished  "  tiles  in  alto-relievo, 
which  are  treated  by  the  sand-blast  process  after  being 
glazed.  The  effect  is  a  soft,  satin-like  finish,  exceedingly 
pleasing  to  the  eye.  The  process  is  protected  by  patents. 
This  style  of  finish  forms  a  striking  contrast  to  the  glazed 
and  enamelled  varieties  also  made  here,  of  which  effective 
panels,  six  by  eighteen  inches,  in  one  piece,  are  manufac- 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


363 


tured  extensively.  Larger  tiles  have  also  been  produced 
here  for  special  work,  some  of  them  being  twelve  by 
twenty-four  inches.  The  company  has  also  recently  been 
making  soda-water  fountains  with  modelled  panels. 

Over  twenty  kilns  are  at  present  operated  by  the  Trent 
Tile  Company,  including  six  round  biscuit  kilns,  and  up- 
wards of  a  dozen  enamelling  kilns.  The  English  muffle 
kilns  are  used  for  enamelling,  but  the  firing  is  done  at  a 
pretty  high  temperature.     The  present  officers  of  the 


iqo. — Bacchanalian  Panel.    Nine  by  Eighteen  Inches.    Designed  by 
Mr.W.  W.  Gallimore.    Trent  Tile  Works. 

company  are  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Lee,  president,  Mr.  Alfred 
Lawshe,  treasurer,  and  Mr.  DeWitt  C.  McVay,  manager. 

In  1886,  Mr.  William  Wood  Gallimore  became  de- 
signer and  modeller  for  these  works,  having  previously 
acquired  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  modeller  of  portrait 
busts  and  vases.  Mr.  Gallimore  is  an  Englishman  with 
thirty  years'  experience  as  a  potter  and  designer.  His 
father,  Mr.  William  Gallimore,  was  an  artist,  engraver, 
and  color  maker,  and  under  his  instruction  the  son  ob- 


364         PO  TTER  Y  AND  POR CELAIN. 


tained  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  manufacture  of 
potters'  colors.  The  younger  Gallimore  began  his  career 
in  the  office  of  Mr.  John  Ward,  solicitor,  Burslem,  Staf- 
fordshire, and  his  evenings  and  leisure  hours  were  devoted 
to  the  study  of  art  in  the  Art  School  of  Stoke-upon-Trent. 
While  in  the  law  office  he  executed  his  first  model,  a 
group  of  figures,  representing  a  Neapolitan  fisherman 
and  family,  after  an  engraving  which  appeared  in  the 
Illustrated  London  News.    This  work  attracted  consider- 


191. — Nine-  by  Eighteen-Inch  Panel — Fishing  Boys.     Designed  by  W.  W. 

Gallimore.    Trent  Tile  Co. 

able  attention  among  the  artists  of  the  district,  and  Mr. 
George  Reade,  a  modeller  of  reputation,  at  once  tendered 
the  young  artist  a  position  in  his  studio  at  Burslem, 
which  was  accepted.  Here,  under  Mr.  Reade's  instruc- 
tion, young  Gallimore  became  proficient  in  modelling 
pieces  of  useful  ware,  and  was  entrusted  with  much  of  the 
outline  drawing  for  the  establishment.  On  Mr.  Reade's 
retirement  from  business,  his  pupil  continued  his  studies 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


365 


in  figure  modelling  under  M.  Louis  Kremer,  a  French 
artist  of  ability.  Subsequently  Mr.  Gallimore  became 
connected  with  a  number  of  the  prominent  potteries  in 
England.  For  six  years  he  was  at  the  Belleek  potteries 
in  Ireland,  where  he  lost  his  right  arm  by  the  bursting  of 
a  gun.  He  afterwards  was  commissioned  by  Mr.  William 
Henry  Goss,  proprietor  of  the  London  Road,  Stoke-upon- 
Trent,  potteries,  an  eminent  author,  to  execute  some 
busts  of  prominent  Englishmen,  which  were  afterwards 
produced  by  Mr.  Goss  in  fine  parian.  These  portrait 
busts  were  pronounced  admirable  likenesses  of  the  origi- 
nals, including  a  head  of  the  late  Mr.  Llewellynn  Jewitt, 
which  serves  as  the  frontispiece  to  the  latter's  Ceramic 
Art  of  Great  Britain,  a  bust  of  Mr.  S.  C.  Hall,  editor  of 
The  Art  Journal,  another  of  the  present  Earl  of  Derby, 
and  one  of  the  Earl  of  Beaconsfield. 

Since  the  loss  of  his  arm,  Mr.  Gallimore  has  done  his 
modelling  with  his  left  hand,  and  he  has  accomplished 
better  work  with  one  arm  than  he  did  when  in  possession 
of  both.  All  of  the  designs  produced  by  the  Trent  factory 
during  the  past  six  years  are  his  work,  the  dies  being  made 
in  his  workshop  by  his  son,  under  his  supervision.  Mr. 
Gallimore  is  a  versatile  and  prolific  sculptor,  and  an  artist 
of  fine  ability.  His  style  is  vigorous  and  characteristic; 
his  portrayals  of  boys  and  Cupids  are  especially  pleasing. 
Among  the  more  pretentious  of  his  recent  productions  are 
a  finely  modelled  coat-of-arms  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey, 
designed  for  architectural  embellishment,  and  a  six-foot 
panel  with  figures  in  relief.  In  addition  to  his  work  for 
the  Trent  Company,  he    has   designed    some   of  the 


366         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


best  vases  and  other  pieces  for  the  Ceramic  Art  Com- 
pany of  Trenton,  makers  of  Belleek  china,  and  other 
establishments.  The  tile  portrait  which  forms  the  frontis- 
piece to  this  volume  was  modelled  and  kindly  volun- 
teered by  Mr.  Gallimore,  and  is  pronounced  an  excellent 
likeness. 

Mr.  William  Gallimore,  the  father,  was  a  designer  and 
engraver  of  the  old  school,  and  did  considerable  work  for 
the  Wedgwoods,  Enoch  Wood,  John  Alcock,  and  other 
English  potters.  He  died  at  his  son's  house  in  Trenton, 
N.  J.,  in  1 89 1 ,  aged  eighty-four,  the  last  piece  of  work 
which  he  did,  a  short  time  previous  to  his  death,  being 
a  chrysanthemum  design  for  transfer  printing,  for  the 
house  of  J.  E.  Jeffords  &  Co.,  Philadelphia.  Among 
his  papers  he  left  a  large  and  interesting  collection  of 
proofs  from  the  original  copper  plates  which  he  and 
others  had  engraved  for  the  above  named  firms  during 
the  first  half  of  the  present  century,  together  with  many 
of  the  original  drawings  from  which  the  engravings 
were  made,  and  some  proofs  of  curious  old  engravings 
for  "  bat-printing." 

Mr.  W.  W.  Gallimore's  sons,  William  and  Jesse,  have 
recently  commenced  business  on  their  own  account,  under 
the  supervision  of  their  father,  as  designers  and  modellers 
of  useful,  ornamental,  and  figure  subjects, — the  sons  hav- 
ing inherited  the  artistic  talents  of  their  father  and  grand- 
father. Miss  Flora  and  Miss  Marian  Gallimore,  the 
daughters,  are  also  clever  modellers  of  floral  designs  for 
applied  ornamentation,  and  have  done  considerable  work 
of  this  character. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


367 


THE   PARK   PORCELAIN  WORKS. 

In  1884,  Mr.  H.  R.  Mitchell,  of  the  Park  Porcelain 
Works,  West  Philadelphia,  experimented  in  glazed  relief 
tiles,  examples  of  which  are  on  exhibition  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Museum  of  Art.  He  modelled  a  number  of  designs 
from  natural  objects,  such  as  leaves  and  turtle-shells,  the 
latter  being  exact  reproductions,  both  in  form  and  color- 
ing, of  the  original  models.  The  manufacture  does  not 
seem  to  have  advanced  beyond  the  experimental  stage, 
although  the  workmanship  was  creditable  and  some  of  the 
glazes  excellent. 

THE   PROVIDENTIAL  TILE  WORKS. 

of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  were  projected  about  1885  and  the  first 
goods  were  turned  out  in  the  spring  of  1886.  Mr.  Isaac 
Broome,  who  had  previously  been  with  the  Trent  Tile 
Company  of  the  same  place,  was  the  first  designer  and 
modeller  of  the  new  establishment,  and  some  of  his  designs 
are  still  being  produced. 

The  products  of  this  factory  are  glazed  tiles,  plain  and 
in  relief.  At  one  time  embossed  tiles  were  made  in  two 
colors,  the  raised  ornamentation  being  of  a  different  color 
or  tint  from  the  ground,  and  some  good  results  were  ob- 
tained by  this  treatment.  Underglaze  decoration  was 
also  employed  for  a  time,  but  both  styles  were  abandoned 
as  being  unsuited  to  the  American  market.  The  present 
output  consists  principally  of  embossed  tiles  for  mantels, 
hearths,  and  wall  decorations.     Some  of   the  newest 


368         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


designs  are  relief  tiles,  measuring  six  by  twelve  and  six 
by  eighteen  inches,  and  among  the  most  popular  pieces 
are  hunting  panels  for  mantel  facings,  with  representa- 
tions of  fighting  bucks,  stag's  heads,  sportsmen,  and  dogs. 

The  present  designer  and  modeller  is  Mr.  Scott 
Callowhill,  recently,  for  a  short  time,  connected  with  the 
Phcenixville  (Pa.)  pottery.     He  came  to  this  country  in 

1885,  from  the  Royal  Worcester 
works,  England,  where  with  his 
brother,  Mr.  James  Callowhill, 
now  of  Roslindale,  Mass.,  he  had 
charge  of  two  of  the  principal 
decorating-rooms  in  which  the 
finer  class  of  decoration,  in  raised 
paste  and  gold  bronze,  was  done. 
He  also  while  in  England  worked 
for  the  Doultons  at  Lambeth. 
Mr.  Callowhill  has  recently  ex- 
ecuted some  artistic  panel  de- 
signs, one  of  which  is  a  six-  by 
twelve-inch  tile,  "  Mignon,"  after 
192. — Relief  Panel — "Mignon."  Jules   Lefebvre,  and  another,  a 

By  Scott  Callowhill,  after  ,         .    ,  ...  f 

Lefebvre.  S1X"  bY  eighteen-inch  piece,  after 

Mr.  Benjamin  W.  Leader's  pic- 
ture, entitled  "  February  fill  Dyke,"  in  intaglio.  This 
panel  is  glazed  in  a  single  color  and  is  one  of  a  set  of 
three  intended  for  a  mantel  facing. 

Amongthe  latest  productions  of  this  factory  are  gilded 
and  decorated  tiles  in  the  style  of  the  Royal  Worcester 
cloisonne,  exceedingly  rich  and  pleasing  in  effect.  One 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


3^9 


variety  consists  of  raised  designs,  glazed  and  outlined  in 
gold,  the  relief  portions  being  finished  in  shades  lighter 
or  darker  than  the  ground,  while  another  style  possesses 
arabesque  reliefs  painted  in  delicate  overglaze  colors  and 


193. — Intaglio — "  February  fill  Dyke."    By  Callovvhill,  after  Leader. 


gold  against  glazed  grounds  of  white,  ivory,  pale  pink, 
and  French  gray  shades.  The  general  effect  is  that  of 
metal  cloisonne.  The  works  are  under  the  management 
of  Messrs.  James  H.  Robinson  and  C.  Louis  Whitehead. 

THE   BEAVER  FALLS  ART  TILE  COMPANY,  LIMITED. 

of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  was  organized  in  1886  by  Mr.  F. 
W.  Walker,  who  is  secretary,  treasurer,  and  manager. 


194. — Beaver  Falls  Stove  Tiles. 


The  works  started  with  the  manufacture  of  plain  enamels, 

and  a  few  months  later  added  embossed  and  intaglio  tiles, 

24 


POTTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


as  well  as  tiles  for  stove  decorations,  of  which  this  com- 
pany has  since  made  a  specialty.  The  discovery  of 
natural  gas  and  the  advantages  to  be  obtained  by  its  use 
as  a  fuel  for  the  burning  of  all  pottery  wares  was  the 
inducement  for  Mr.  Walker,  who  had  been  very  much 
interested  in  the  investigation  of  tiles  and  their  manufac- 
ture, to  organize  the  company,  and  his  ability  as  a  che- 
mist soon  enabled  him  to  place  the  works  in  a  position  to 
manufacture  a  line  of  glazes  of  soft,  rich  tones,  and  their 
remarkable  freedom  from  crazing  soon  won  for  the  fac- 
tory a  high  reputation  in  the 
trade.  Their  delicate  tints  of 
pale  blue  and  greenish  and 
purplish  grays  are  particularly 
beautiful  examples  of  transparent 
colored  glazing. 

These  works  have  always  em- 
ployed the  best  designers  that 
could  be  obtained.  Prof.  Isaac 
Broome,  a  sculptor  of  rare  artis- 
tic ability,  became  connected  with  the  factory  in  1890. 
Among  his  most  highly  admired  pieces  is  a  six-inch  tile 
with  a  classic  female  figure  (Sappho)  in  relief,  leaning  on 
a  harp. 

The  factory  is  now  making  a  specialty  of  artistic  tile 
designs  suitable  for  solid  wall  decorations,  in  all  the  lead- 
ing styles,  for  libraries,  dining-rooms,  and  bath-rooms. 
One  of  the  most  chaste  patterns  recently  produced  is  a 
dado  in  Romanesque  style,  of  which  a  section  is  here 
represented  (111.  198).    The  examples  figured  are  char- 


195. — Six-Inch  Relief  Tile — 
"Sappho."  By  Broome. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


acteristic  illustrations  of  the  geometric,  floral,  and  figure 
embellishment  of  the  Beaver  Falls  productions. 

A  circular  four-and-a-half-inch  likeness  of  Mrs.  Grover 
Cleveland  was  executed  here  a  few  years  ago,  which  is  an 
excellent  example  of  tile  portraiture.  Among  the  most 
recent  productions  of  the  works  are  a  series  of  six-  by 
eighteen-inch  panels,  representing  Poetry,  Music,  and 
Painting  (111.  197),  and  some  twelve-  by 
twelve-inch  heads,  including  one  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Prof.  Isaac  Broome  is  one  of  America's 
most  versatile  artists.     He  was  born  at 
Valcartier,  Quebec,  on  May  16,  1835.  He 
first  became  interested  in  the  subject  of 
ceramics  when,  as  a  young  man,  he  visited 
the  museums  of  Europe  to  study  the  col- 
lections of  Grecian  and  Etruscan  vases  for 
archaeological    material    for   use    in  his 
chosen  professions  of  sculpture  and  paint- 
ing.    After  some  years  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  potter's  art,  and  about  the  196.—  Passion-flower 
close  of  the  Civil  War  he  established  a       By  Broome 
terra-cotta   manufactory   at  Pittsburgh, 
where  he  made  vases,  fountains,  and  architectural  de- 
signs.     His  productions,  however,  were  in  advance  of 
the  public  taste,  and  the  venture  had  to  be  abandoned. 
After  a  period  of  portrait-painting,  frescoing,  sculpturing, 
and  modelling,  he  started  architectural  terra-cotta  works 
in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  about  1871,  and  produced  some  large 
pieces  of  artistic  work,  but  he  was  finally  compelled  to 


372 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


relinquish  this  second  enterprise  by  the  arbitrary  ruling  of 
the  city  Board  of  Health  which,  under  the  pretext  that  the 
firing  of  his  kilns  endangered  the  safety  of  the  adjacent 
buildings,  ordered  him  to  close  the  works. 

Just  previous  to  the  Centennial,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  Mr.  Broome  was  engaged  by  the  Etruria  Pottery  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  to  prepare  some  special  designs  for  the 

approaching  exhibition.  In  1878  he  was 
appointed  a  special  commissioner  on  ce- 
ramics to  the  Paris  Exposition,  and,  in 
conjunction  with  General  McClellan, 
made  a  thorough  study  of  the  ceramic 
art  as  it  exists  abroad.  While  connected 
with  the  Ott  &  Brewer  Company  at 
Trenton,  he  made  some  original  drawings 
on  stone  for  some  special  and  general 
work  which  were  printed  in  black,  in 
colors,  and  in  gold,  said  to  be  the  first 
lithographic  printing  on  pottery  ever  done 
in  America. 

In  the  year  1880,  on  his  return  to 
Trenton  from  abroad,  he  utilized  the  time 
in  recovering  from  an  attack  of  illness  in 
putting  into  practical  application  some  ideas  which  he 
had  previously  thought  out  in  the  production  of  a  variety 
of  ware  never  before  attempted  in  this  country.  The 
body  was  a  well  vitrified  porcelain  with  underglaze  color 
effects,  the  paste,  colors,  and  glaze  being  thoroughly 
incorporated  together  by  a  single  firing.  The  result  was 
a  ware  difficult  to  describe,  but  most  pleasing  in  its  modest 


197. — Relief  Panel- 
"  Music,"  from 
Painting,  Poetry, 
and  Music  Facing. 
By  Broome. 


198.— Dado  in  Romanesque  Style.    Beaver  P  alls  Art  Tile  Co. 

373 


1 


374 


PO TTER  Y  AND  POP CEL AIN. 


tones  and  the  softness  and  depth  of  translucent  effect. 
Only  about  one  hundred  of  these  vases  were  made,  for 
the  most  part  of  small  size,  ranging  from  three  to  ten 
inches  in  height,  the  forms  being  simple  but  full  and  rich 
in  outline,  and  particularly  adapted  to  the  peculiar  style 
of  coloration  in  analogous  or  contrasting  harmonies. 
These  pieces  were  made  entirely  by  Prof.  Broome,  assisted 
by  his  young  son,  the  clays  being  prepared  in  the  basement 
of  his  residence,  dried  in  plaster  moulds  in  the  sun,  thrown, 
turned,  glazed,  and  colored  on  the  green  clay  in  a  second- 
story  room,  and  finally  taken  to  Davis'  pottery  in  Trenton 
and  fired  in  a  regular  ware  kiln.  All  of  these  interesting 
pieces  were  sent  to  a  dealer  in  New  York  and  scattered 
in  collections  throughout  the  country  (see  chapter  on 
Marks). 

In  T883  Mr.  Broome  became  connected  with  the 
Harris  Manufacturing  Company,  now  the  Trent  Tile 
Company,  as  designer  and  modeller,  and  afterward,  in 
1886,  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  Providential 
Tile  works,  of  Trenton,  and  designed  many  of  their  best 
works.  He  is  an  indefatigable  worker  and  a  prolific 
artist,  his  sculptures  being  characterized  by  exquisite  con- 
ception and  the  most  painstaking  execution  of  details. 

i\mong  the  more  important  works  of  Prof.  Broome 
are  a  marble  bust  of  Dr.  Ducachet,  in  a  niche  in  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  Philadelphia,  executed  in  1858  ;  a 
semi-colossal  marble  bust  of  Washington  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Club-house,  Thirteenth  and  Walnut  streets,  made 
from  the  most  authentic  portraits  in  the  same  year ;  and 
a  ceramic  bust  of  Hon.  Joseph  D.  Bedle,  New  Jersey's 
Centennial  Governor,  now  in  the  State  Library  at  Trenton. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


375 


THE  CAMBRIDGE  ART  TILE  WORKS 

were  established  at  Covington,  Kentucky,  in  March  of 
1887,  by  Messrs.  A.  W.  Koch,  F.  W.  Braunstein,  and 
Heinrich  Binz,  all  of  Cincinnati,  for  the  manufacture  of 
enamelled  and  embossed  tile,  since  which  date  the  plant 
has  been  enlarged  from  year  to  year  to  accommodate  the 
constantly  increasing  business.  These  works  are  produ- 
cing to-day  an  extensive  line  of  high-grade  art  goods  of  vari- 
ous shapes  for  interior  decoration — friezes,  moulding,  and 


199. — "King  Lear." 


mantel  facings — ranging  in  size  from  one  half  inch  square 
to  six  by  eighteen  inches.  In  addition  to  relief  work  for 
mantel  and  wall  decoration,  the  intaglio  treatment  has  also 
been  employed  to  some  extent,  whereby  photographs  may 
be  reproduced  with  good  effect  by  filling  in  the  depressions 
with  colored  glazes.  Imitation  mosaic  work  is  also  a  spe- 
cialty of  this  factory.  The  glazes  used  on  the  various 
productions  are  remarkably  free  from  crazing. 

From  a  large  number  of  excellent  designs  we  have 


376 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


selected  for  illustration  a  six-inch  head,  representing  King 
Lear,  which  was  modelled  by  Mr.  Clem.  Barnhorn,  who 
recently  received  the  European  scholarship  offered  by  the 
Cincinnati  Art  School. 


200. — "Winter."    Modelled  by  Mersman. 


The  principal  designer  and  modeller  for  the  works  is 
Mr.  Ferdinand  Mersman,  formerly  connected  with  the 
Rookwood  Pottery  of  Cincinnati,  who  studied  at  the 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


377 


Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Munich.  One  of  his  designs, 
a  six-  by  eighteen-inch  panel,  representing  Winter,  is 
here  figured,  and  of  his  more  pretentious  works  we  give 
an  illustration  of  a  ten-piece  design  entitled  "  Daughters 
of  the  Sea." 


THE   MENLO   PARK   CERAMIC  COMPANY 


was  started  at  Menlo  Park,  N.J.,  in  October,  1888,  by  Mr. 
J.  T.  Smith  and  Mr.  Charles  Volkmar,  for  the  manufacture 
of  art  tiles  and  other  interior  ceramic  decorations. 

Mr.  Volkmar,  who  came  from  Baltimore,  Md.,  springs 
from  a  family  of  artists.  His  father's  reputation  as  a  por- 
trait painter  and  restorer  of  pictures  is  well  known,  and  his 
grandfather  was  an  engraver  of  considerable  prominence. 
The  younger  Volkmar  began  his  art  studies  in  his  native 
city,  and  as  early  as  1859  attracted  attention  as  an  etcher 
of  merit.  Before  reaching  his  majority  he  went  to  Paris 
and  studied  under  Harpignies  and  others.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  a  number  of  years,  acquiring  an  enviable  repu- 
tation as  an  animal  and  landscape  painter  in  oils  and  water 


378         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


colors,  and  his  works  were  exhibited  in  several  of  the 
salons.  During  this  period  he  became  greatly  interested 
in  the  Limoges  method  of  underglaze  painting  in  clay, 
and,  entering  a  pottery  in  one  of  the  suburbs  of  Paris,  de- 
voted himself  to  the  study  of  the  various  processes  of 
manufacture,  the  composition  of  glazes,  and  the  mysteries 
of  the  kiln.  Later  he  became  connected  with  other  pot- 
teries, in  the  capacity  of  an  ordinary  workman,  and  in  this 
manner  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  underglaze 
decoration  which  could  not  have  been  obtained  in  any 
other  way.  Returning  to  America  about  1878,  he  built  a 
kiln  at  Greenpoint,  Long  Island,  and  subsequently  another 
at  Tremont,  near  New  York  City,  where  he  began  to  make 
decorated  tiles  and  art  pottery.  The  "  Volkmar  faience" 
of  that  period  was  of  the  same  character  as  the  Haviland 
slip-decorated  ware.  In  1883  he  produced  a  limited  num- 
ber of  so-called  "  barbotine  "  vases,  decorated  on  plain 
surfaces  or  modelled  in  relief.  His  process  differs  from 
that  in  vogue  elsewhere,  in  that  the  colors  are  applied 
to  the  thoroughly  dried  surface  of  the  unbaked  ware  in- 
stead of  to  the  moist  or  green  clay,  by  which  method  he 
claims  that  he  can  obtain  better  results  in  the  avoidance  of 
unequal  shrinkage  of  the  body  and  the  securing  of  greater 
brilliancy  of  effect. 

Recently  Mr.  Volkmar  has  been  devoting  himself  to 
architectural  work.  One  of  the  most  important  pieces 
of  special  work  executed  by  him  in  the  last  two  years  is 
the  interior  decoration  of  the  William  Rockafeller  man- 
sion at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  consisting  of  enamelled  terra- 
cotta, or  faience,  in  a  vestibule  with  groined  arches  and 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


379 


loggia,  the  latter  embellished  with  a  five-foot  frieze,  heavy 
cornice,  and  panelled  ceiling.  This  work  was  modelled 
after  special  designs  of  the  architects,  Messrs.  Carrere  and 
Hastings.    The  style  of  decoration  is  Italian  Renaissance 


202. — Portion  of  Five-Foot  Frieze  in  Loggia  of  the 
rockafeller  mansion,  tarrytown,  n.  y. 


in  high  relief,  the  color  of  the  enamel  being  in  such  per- 
fect harmony  with  the  wainscoting  of  Tennessee  marble 
that  at  a  short  distance  no  difference  in  shading  is  per- 


38o' 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


ceptible.  This  terra-cotta  body  is  white  in  color  and  of  a 
somewhat  sandy  nature,  fired  hard,  and  covered  with  a 
glaze  or  enamel. 

Mr.  Volkmar's  method  of  decorating  tile  consists  in 
the  use  of  enamels  instead  of  transparent  glazes,  which 
he  is  able  to  shade  to  the  most  delicate  and  subdued 
tints,  to  match  any  variety  of  marble,  onyx,  or  other 
material.  His  "old  gold"  and  "old  ivory"  are  just  now 
particularly  popular  for  decorative  purposes,  to  harmonize 
with  the  light  furnishings  which  have  recently  been 
revived. 

Another  peculiarity  of  his  tiles  is  the  employment  of 
slightly  relieved  lines,  to  indicate  the  design,  in  place  of 
high-relief  effects,  which  are  often  decorated  in  two 
shades  of  the  same  color,  or  in  two  harmonious  colors  of 
low,  broken  shades. 

Some  of  Mr.  Volkmar's  tile  work  may  be  seen  in  the 
ceiling  of  the  Boston  Public  Library,  in  light  gray-blue 
coloring.  In  the  Market  and  Fulton  National  Bank 
building,  New  York  City,  over  eight  thousand  six-inch 
Volkmar  tiles  were  used  for  wall  decorations,  in  Roman- 
esque style,  the  color  scheme  being  old  ivory,  pale  blue, 
and  light  maroon.  Mantel  facings  and  hearths,  with 
raised  designs,  of  artistic  conception,  finished  in  old  ivory 
and  gold,  have  also  been  made  by  Mr.  Volkmar  for  many 
of  the  residences  of  prominent  people. 

Mr.  Volkmar  has  taken  steps  to  organize  a  new  com- 
pany, which  will  be  established  in  Menlo  Park,  to  be 
known  as  the  Volkmar  Ceramic  Company.  The  manu- 
facture of  artistic  tiling  will  be  a  specialty  of  the  new 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


38i 


establishment,  as  well  as  high-grade  architectural  clay 
work  of  every  description. 

The  Menlo  Park  Ceramic  Works  are  still  being 
operated  by  Mr.   J.   T.  Smith. 

THE   ROBERTSON   ART  TILE  COMPANY 

was  formed  at  Morrisville,  Pa.,  opposite  Trenton,  N.  J., 
in  1890,  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Robertson,  who  had  been  assistant 
manager  at  the  East  Boston  Pottery  from  1865  to  1871, 
and  for  several  years  afterwards  associated  with  his  father 
and  brothers,  James  Robertson  &  Sons,  at  the  Chelsea 


203 — Panel  after  the  French.    Robertson  Art  Tile  Co. 

Keramic  Art  Works,  Chelsea,  Mass.,  and  from  1878  to  1890 
connected  with  the  Low  Art  Tile  W orks,  of  the  same 
place.  Morrisville  was  selected  for  the  new  venture  by 
reason  of  its  many  natural  advantages.  The  new  factory 
was  called  the  Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Tile  Works,  and  Mr. 
Robertson  became  general  manager  for  the  company. 

The  business  started  with  the  manufacture  of  a  fine 
grade  of  glazed  brick,  and  for  some  time  plain  enamelled 


382  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  POP  CELA  IN. 


wall  tiles  have  been  produced.  The  glazes  and  enamels 
are  of  most  excellent  quality  and  remarkably  free  from  a 

tendency  to  craze,  and  the  color 
scale  possesses  a  wide  range.  A 
specialty  is  the  manufacture  of 
rough  tiles  with  stucco  finish  for 
interior  decoration.  Recently  some 
excellent  etched  and  relief  art  tiles 
have  been  made,  of  which  two  six- 
by  twelve-inch  panels  are  here 
illustrated,  one  of  which,  in  high 
relief,  is  a  reproduction,  probably, 
of  a  French  design.  The  other, 
in  low  relief,  was  modelled  by 
Mr.  H.  C.  Robertson  of  Chelsea 
after  one  of  Dore's  illustrations  of 

2G4-PANEL  MODELLED  BY         ^   Fon  ta  j  n  e' s  fableS. 

H.  C.  Robertson  after 
Dork. 


THE  COLUMBIA   ENCAUSTIC  TILE  COMPANY, 

of  Anderson,  Indiana,  manufacture  natural-gas  burned 
tiles,  their  specialty  being  plain  enamelled  tiles.  Inlaid 
floor  tiles  and,  to  some  extent,  embossed  tiles  for  mantels 
and  ornamental  purposes  are  also  made  here.  Of  the 
latter  some  twelve-by  thirty-inch  panels  are  now  under 
experiment.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  Mr.  B.  O. 
Haugh,  president,  Mr.  George  Lilly,  vice-president  and 
treasurer,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Hughes,  secretary. 


ORNAMENTAL  TILES. 


383 


Some  of  their  best  six-inch  designs  are  those  with  boy 
figures  representing  the  seasons,  and  some  children's 
heads.  A  mantel  facing  representing  "  The  Return  of 
the  Swallows"  is  worthy  of  notice. 


THE  C.    PARDEE  WORKS, 


of  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.,  produce  front,  fire,  and  paving 
brick,  salt-glazed  sewer  pipe,  and,  to  a  more  limited  ex- 
tent, floor  and  glazed 
tiling.  Recently  art 
tiles  for  wall  decora- 
tion have  been  made 
here,  the  latter  includ- 
ing some  intaglio 
modelled  heads  of 
Emperor  William,  Ex- 
President  Benjamin 
Harrison,  President 
Grover  Cleveland,  and 
other  celebrities. 
Seven  tile  kilns  are 
now  in  operation  and 
greater  attention  will 
hereafter  be  given  to 
this  branch  of  the 
business.    Some  supe- 

1  1  -i  205. — The  Wilkes  Screw  Tile  Press. 

nor  hand-painted 

underglaze  tiles  of  pleasing  designs  have  been  produced 
by  way  of  experiment  and  it  is  the  intention  of  the  man- 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


agement  to  commence  the  manufacture  of  printed  under- 
glaze  and  overglaze  goods  in  the  near  future.  Recently 
these  works  commissioned  Mr.  W.  W.  Gallimore  to  exe- 
cute some  new  designs  which  are  now  being  produced. 

In  the  manufacture  of  printed,  inlaid,  and  relief  tiles, 
America  has  advanced  rapidly,  but  in  the  production  of 
hand-painted  art  tiles  she  is  sadly  deficient.  This  is  a 
branch  of  the  art  that  must  be  developed  through  the  in- 
fluence of  our  mechanical  art  schools,  which  are  paving  the 
way  for  an  early  revolution  in  the  ceramic  industry  in  the 
United  States. 

Various  tile  machines  have  been  designed  for  the  man- 
ufacture  of  tiles  from  dust  or  semi-dry  clay,  but  we  are 
unable  here  to  reproduce  more  than  one.  Illustration  205 
shows  a  screw  press,  made  by  Mr.  Peter  Wilkes,  of 
Trenton,  for  the  Trent  Tile  Company,  and  will  give  an 
excellent  idea  of  the  principle  on  which  the  majority  of 
such  machines  are  operated.  This  forms  tiles  six  inches 
to  twelve  inches  square,  the  die  being  placed  between  the 
"push-up  "  and  "plunger."  It  can  also  be  used  for  mak- 
ing plates,  oval  dishes,  and  other  wares. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


ARCHITECTURAL  TERRA-COTTA. 

IT  is  interesting  to  note  what  the  fifth  edition  of  the 
Encyclopedia  Britannica,  published  in  1815,  contains 
relative  to  this  subject  :  "  Worlidge,  and  others  after 
him,  have  endeavored  to  excite  brick-makers  to  try  their 
skill  in  making  a  new  kind  of  brick,  or  a  composition  of 
clay  and  sand,  whereof  to  form  window-frames,  chimney- 
pieces,  door-cases,  and  the  like.  It  is  to  be  made  in 
pieces,  fashioned  in  molds,  which,  when  burnt,  may  be  set 
together  with  a  fine  red  cement,  and  seem  as  one  entire 
piece.  The  thing  should  seem  feasible."  And  so  we 
shall  find  that  it  was. 

Terra-cotta,  the  most  enduring  of  all  building  mate- 
rials, has  been  used  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent  from  a 
high  antiquity  in  continental  Europe,  and  in  England 
terra-cotta  trimmings  were  used  in  building  as  early  as  the 
fifteenth  century.  In  the  United  States  this  material  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  introduced  until  after  1850.  Ex- 
periments were  made  in  this  direction  in  1853  by  Mr. 
James  Renwick,  a  prominent  New  York  architect,  but  the 
innovation  was  not  received  with  favor  by  builders.  In 
1870  the  Chicago  Terra-Cotta  Company  brought  over 

25  385 


386         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


from  England  Mr.  James  Taylor,  superintendent  of  the 
well  known  works  which  were  established  by  Mr.  J.  M. 
Blashfield  in  1858.  By  the  introduction  of  the  English 
methods,  the  Chicago  establishment  soon  turned  out  better 
work  than  had  been  produced  before  in  the  United 
States. 

The  Southern  Terra-Cotta  Works  of  Messrs.  P.  Pelle- 
grini and  Z.  Castleberry  were  established  in  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  in  1871,  for  the  manufacture  of  architectural  and 
horticultural  terra-cotta.  Their  red  and  buff  garden  vases 
and  statuary  are  justly  noted  for  excellence  of  design, 
and  their  architectural  work,  for  exterior  and  interior 
decoration,  is  of  a  superior  character.  Some  of  their 
terra-cotta  mantels,  supported  by  female  figures,  and  their 
fire-place  and  chimney  panels  are  especially  meritorious. 

The  Perth  Amboy  Terra-Cotta  Company,  of  Perth 
Amboy,  N.  J.,  was  incorporated  in  1879,  ar|d  at  once  em- 
barked in  the  manufacture  of  large  designs  for  architec- 
tural purposes,  from  clay  obtained  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  plant  of  this  company  has  expanded  so  rapidly  that 
at  present  it  includes  twenty-two  kilns,  some  of  them 
measuring  forty-eight  and  one  third  feet  in  height  by 
twenty-four  and  one  sixth  in  diameter,  which  are  among 
the  largest  of  the  kind  on  this  continent,  if  not  in  the 
world. 

This  company  has  in  its  employ  a  number  of  eminent 
artists  in  this  particular  line,  and  has  furnished  terra-cotta 
details  for  many  prominent  buildings  throughout  the 
country.  Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the  Ponce  de  Leon 
Hotel,  St.  Augustine,   Florida ;   Biological  Laboratory, 


388         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Princeton  College  ;  the  Produce  Exchange,  Cotton  Ex- 
change, Washington  Market,  Post  Building,  World  Build- 
ing, Century  Club,  Racquet  Club,  Freundschaft  Club, 
Tiffany  House,  and  Mills  Building,  New  York  City ; 
Long  Island  Historical  Building,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  ;  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Station,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  ;  Iroquois 
Hotel,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  ;  Dearborn  Station  and  Rialto 
Building,  Chicago,  111.  ;  Hastings  Hall,  Boston,  Mass.  ; 
De  Soto  Hotel,  Charleston,  S.  C.  ;  the  Montgomery 
County  Court  House,  Birmingham,  Alabama  ;  Adams 
Express  Company,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  ;  and  Masonic 
Hall,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

In  addition  to  the  red  and  buff  terra-cotta  employed 
in  brick  structures,  this  company  also  manufactures  a 
white  terra-cotta  which  has  been  used  in  the  Madison 
Square  Garden,  Imperial  Hotel,  Judge  Building,  Edison 
Building,  New  York  City,  and  many  other  large  edifices. 

The  officers  of  this  company  are  Mr.  E.  J.  Hall, 
president,  Mr.  W.  C.  Hall,  vice-president  and  Mr.  G.  P. 
Putnam,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Winkle  Terra-Cotta  Company,  of  Cheltenham, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  commenced  business  in  1883.  They 
manufacture  a  high  grade  of  architectural  terra-cotta  in  a 
variety  of  shades  to  match  the  different  colors  of  building 
bricks.  The  officers  are  Mr.  Joseph  Winkle,  president, 
Mr.  Andrew  Winkle,  vice-president  and  Mr.  John  G. 
Hewitt,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Company, 
of  which  Mr.  Walter  Geer  is  president,  was  organized  in 
the  latter  part  of  1885,  and  the  services  of  Mr.  James 


389 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Taylor  were  secured  to  superintend  the  works.  On  the 
ioth  of  May  following,  the  first  kiln  of  terra-cotta  was 
burned,  in  the  newly  completed  works  at  Long  Island 
City,  opposite  58th  Street,  New  York.  The  main  build- 
ing is  1  70  by  115  feet  in  extent,  and  six  stories  in  height, 
and  is  built  of  brick  and  terra-cotta.  In  1891  an  addition, 
95  by  80  feet,  was  erected  in  the  rear,  to  accommodate 
the  rapidly  increasing  business  of  the  company.  The 
twelve  kilns  are  situated  on  the  second  floor  and  the  walls 
ascend  through  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  floors,  thus 

helping  to  warm  the 
apartments  and  fur- 
nishing surplus  heat 
for  drying  the  plastic 
work  in  the  pressing 
and  finishing  depart- 
ments, which  are  lo- 
cated there. 

Designs  for  archi- 
tectural purposes  are 
made  usually  in 
moulds,  except  in 
special  work,  then  turned  out  on  the  floor  of  the  drying- 
room,  and,  if  requiring  extra  finish,  or  undercutting,  are 
afterwards  carved  or  modelled  by  hand.  The  larger 
designs  are  made  in  sections,  of  a  size  that  can  be  con- 
veniently handled  by  two  men.  After  being  sufficiently 
dried,  the  pieces  are  placed  in  the  kilns,  where  they  remain 
about  seven  days  in  the  burning  and  cooling  processes. 
The  Long  Island  City  Works  have  furnished  details 


20S. — Bas-Relief  in  the  St.  Anthony  Club- 
house, Philadelphia,  Pa.  Perth 
Amboy  Terra-Cotta  Company. 


ARCHITECTURAL  TERRA-COTTA.     39 r 


for  more  than  two  thousand  buildings,  scattered  through- 
out the  principal  cities  of  the  Union.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  the  Mclntyre  Building,  Manhattan  Athletic 
Club,  Music  Hall,  Plaza  Hotel,  and  Colonial  Club,  of 
New  York  City,  and  the  Montauk  Club  of  Brooklyn. 
The  latter,  designed  by  Mr.  Francis  H.  Kimball,  archi- 
tect, is  an  elaborate  Venetian  Gothic  structure,  in  a  com- 
bination of  three  colors.  The  terra-cotta  is  of  a  pure 
yellow,  in  surface  ornamentation,  upon  a  soft,  brown 
ground,  with  columns  of  Indian  red,  the  whole  framed  in 
a  setting  of  bright  buff  brickwork. 


209. — Military  Panel,  G.  A.  R.  Memorial  Hall,  Wilkes  Barre,  Pa. 
New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Company. 

A  medallion  portrait  of  J  aim  is  an  example  of  vigorous 
treatment  in  terra-cotta  sculpture  and  is  one  of  a  set  of 
three  made  for  the  Turn  Hall,  Trenton,  N.  J.  The  others 
are  portraits  of  Goethe  and  Schiller.  These  heads,  made 
of  white  terra-cotta,  form  a  harmonious  and  pleasing  con- 
trast with  the  light  Pompeiian  color  of  the  brickwork, 
and  the  semi-glazed  old-gold  color  of  the  adjacent  terra- 
cotta. 

The  New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Company 
have  lately  produced  a  white  terra-cotta  which  is  said  to 


39- 


PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA  IN. 


be  fully  equal  to  the  red  in  durability  and  hardness,  which 
has  been  used  recently  in  the  rebuilding  of  Harrigan's 

Theatre  and  in  the 
Fifth  Avenue  The- 
atre, New  York. 
The  effect  is  novel 
and  pleasing.  The 
latter  is  one  of  the 
best  examples  of 
the  new  develop- 
ment of  white  terra- 
cotta in  New  York. 
The  color  of  the 
brickwork,  which 
forms  the  ground, 
is  lemon  or  pale 
yellow.  The  lower 
story  is  constructed 
of  white  marble 
from  Vermont,  and 
the  effect  is  pecu- 
liarly appropriate  in 
tone  and  richness  of 
detail  for  a  struc- 
ture devoted  to  the 
higher  order  of  his- 
trionic amusement. 
In  Illustration  210 
may  be  seen  one  of  a  pair  of  panels  in  this  theatre  em- 
blematic of  dancing  and  singing  which  are  used  in  the 


210. — Panel  in  Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,  New 
York.  N.  Y.  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Co. 


ARCHITECTURAL  TERRA-COTTA.  393 


upper  foyer  windows.  The  experiments  already  made  by 
this  company  and  others  in  the  production  of  a  white 
terra-cotta  have  proved  highly  satisfactory,  and  it  now 
seems  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  more  perishable 
marble,  as  a  building  material,  will  be  superseded  by  this 
more  enduring  substitute. 

The  color  of  terra- 
cotta is  governed  by  the 
character  of  the  local  clays 
used  in  its  manufacture. 
Until  recently  the  red 
brick  used  almost  exclu- 
sively in  the  Eastern 
States  necessitated  the 
employment  of  blood-red 
terra-cotta,  but  since  the 
low  rates  of  freight  have 

o 

of  late  years  enabled  our 
architects  to  use  exten- 
sively   different  colored 
bricks  from  various  locali-  -M 
ties,  the  demand  for  other 

tints    of    terra-COtta    has  211.— Panel  in  Residence  of  Mr.  George 

Alfred  Townsend,  Gapland,  Md. 

increased.      It    has  been  new  York  architectural 

ascertained  that  the  color  terra-cotta  company. 

of  the  material  has  little  relation  to  its  strength  or 
durability.  The  weather-resisting  quality  of  burned  clay 
is  due  to  the  presence  of  metallic  oxides,  which  act  as 
fluxes  in  the  process  of  burning,  thus  cementing  the  parti- 
cles of  silica  and  alumina  together,  the  color  being  im- 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


parted  by  the  predominating  oxide.  Iron  produces  red, 
manganese  black  or  gray,  and  white  calcium  creates  a  buff 
or  light  tint.  The  entire  absence  of  oxides  results  in  a 
white  body  which  is  difficult  to  vitrify  on  account  of  the 
want  of  fluxes,  hence  it  is  not  suited  for  a  building 
material,  but  by  the  use  of  a  good  weather  clay  for  the 
body  and  the  application  of  a  skin  of  fine  white  clay,  the 


212. — Works  of  the  New  York  Architectural  Tekra-Cotta  Co., 

Long  Island  City,  N.  V. 

terra-cotta  is  made  equally  hard  and  durable,  as  the  skin 
takes  up  enough  of  the  flux  from  the  main  body  to  render 
it  of  an  equal  weather  value  without  seriously  affecting  its 
purity  of  color.  That  the  New  York  Architectural  Terra- 
Cotta  Company  has  succeeded  in  producing  a  material 
answering  to  these  requirements  is  amply  demonstrated 
in  a  specimen  which  is  now  before  me,  which  is  of  a 


ARCHITECTURAL  TERRA-CO  TTA.  395 


beautiful  creamy  whiteness,  fine  texture,  and  of  the  neces- 
sary hardness. 

The  Boston  Terra-Cotta  Company,  of  Boston,  Mass., 
manufacture  architectural  and  decorative  terra-cotta,  also 
faience  or  glazed  terra-cotta  for  interior  and  exterior  em- 
bellishment. Probably  the  most  notable  work  of  the  latter 
class  thus  far  produced  is  the  interior  decoration  of  the  cor- 


213. — Medallion  of  General  Winfield  S.  Scott. 


ridors  of  the  Charlesgate  and  the  Adams  House  of  Boston. 
Of  the  many  prominent  buildings  throughout  the  country 
for  which  architectural  terra-cotta  has  been  furnished  by  this 
company,  the  Barnum  Institute  of  Science  and  History,  of 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  may  be  mentioned  as  a  fair  example. 
This  structure  contains  a  frieze  divided  into  panels  repre- 


396  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELA IN. 


senting  the  different  epochs  in  the  history  of  Bridgeport, 
with  figures  about  half  the  size  of  life.  Medallion  busts 
of  eminent  men,  of  heroic  size,  are  inserted  between  the 
panels,  which  are  remarkable  for  their  fidelity  to  nature. 


214. — Floral  Panel.    Stephens,  Armstrong,  &  Conkling. 

Those  of  the  late  Mr.  P.  T.  Barnum,  the  donor  of  the 
building,  and  General  Winfield  S.  Scott,  are  especially 
praiseworthy  as  examples  of  lifelike  portrait-modelling. 
Messrs.  Fiske,  Coleman,  &  Co.  are  the  managers  of  the 


ARCHITECTURAL  TERRA-CO  TTA.  397 


Boston  Terra-Cotta  Company,  as  well  as  managers  and 
agents  of  the  Boston  Fire-Brick  Works,  and  associated 
with  them  are  Messrs.  Atwood  &  Grueby,  in  the  produc- 
tion of  architectural  faience. 

In  1886  Messrs.  Stephens  &  Leach  started  a  factory 
for  architectural  terra-cotta  in  West  Philadelphia,  and 
later  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Stephens,  Armstrong, 
&  Conkling.  During  the  six  years  of  the  works'  existence 
they  have  furnished  material  for  hundreds  of  important 
structures  in  Philadelphia  and  other  cities,  of  which  par- 
ticular mention  may  be  made 
of  panels  and  gable  work  in 
the  library  of  the  University 
of     Pennsylvania,   and  the 

J 

Drexel  Institute,  West  Phila-  J 
delphia.    A  series  of  animal-  I 
head  medallions,  in  high  re-  1 
lief,  are  particularly  excellent, 
and  some  bas-relief  portraits 
of  eminent    men,  modelled 
by  such  sculptors  as  H.  T. 

J  215. — Medallion  of  Columbus. 

Ellicott,    John    Boyle,  and 

E.  N.  Conkling,  are  among  their  best  productions.  A 
medallion  of  Columbus  by  Mr.  Conkling,  and  a  Cupid 
and  floral  panel  by  Thomas  Robertson,  are  here  repre- 
sented. Admirable  work  is  also  being  produced  by  other 
establishments  in  Boston,  Chicago,  and  most  of  our 
larger  cities. 

The  Indianapolis  Terra-Cotta  Company,  located  at 
Brightwood,    Indiana,   commenced   business,   under  its 


39§ 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


present  management,  in  1886.  Mr.  Benjamin  D.  Wal- 
cott  is  president  and  treasurer,  Mr.  William  F.  Stilz, 
vice-president,  and  Mr.  Joseph  Joiner,  secretary  and 
superintendent.  The  latter  is  a  gentleman  of  large  expe- 
rience in  this  field,  and  a  highly  qualified  architect. 


21C. — Finials.     Indianapolis  Terra-Cotta  Company. 

The  products  of  these  works  are  architectural  and 
horticultural  terra-cotta,  of  excellent  quality  and  work- 
manship. 

Since  about  1880  the  demand  for  architectural  terra- 
cotta has  rapidly  increased,  and  to-day  many  manufactories 
are  in  operation  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


AMERICAN  MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 

ft  /l  ANY  important  facts  pertaining  to  American  pot- 
*  "  *  tery  and  porcelain  have  been  allowed  to  pass  into 
oblivion  for  the  want  of  a  chronicler,  and  more  than 
one  erstwhile  prominent  pottery  has  been  forgotten,  and  the 
unmarked  wares,  once  celebrated,  have  seemingly  disap- 
peared, without  leaving  a  trace  to  show  that  they  ever 
existed.  We  must  be  content  with  the  bare  information 
that  certain  products  were  manufactured  by  our  ances- 
tors, who,  when  they  passed  away,  carried  the  knowledge 
of  their  works  with  them.  Who  is  there  to-day  that  can 
identify  a  single  piece  of  the  white  ware  or  "  chiney  "  pro- 
duced at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  in  1688?  What  collector  can 
positively  assert  that  he  possesses  a  veritable  example  of 
the  "tortoise-shell,"  or  "green  colour"  ware  made  in  1769 
at  the  Boston  factory  ?  Where  can  be  found  an  authenti- 
cated specimen  from  the  China  Manufactory  which  was 
turning  out  queensware  in  Philadelphia  in  the  year  1800? 

In  the  older  countries  of  the  East,  it  has  been  the 
custom  for  centuries  to  place  upon  ceramic  wares,  which 
were  considered  worthy  of  preservation,  distinguishing 
marks,  monograms,  or  symbols,  by  which   their  origin 

399 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR  CELAIN. 


should  be  known  for  all  time.  Had  such  precaution  been 
adopted  by  our  earlier  American  potters,  many  a  priceless 
gem  would  now  grace  our  collections,  for  many  a  sus- 
pected rarity  can  be  found  in  our  private  cabinets  and 
public  museums  believed  to  be  American,  but,  alas,  un- 
authenticated.  Before  me  stands  a  quaint  old  porcelain 
coffee-pot,  embellished  with  bunches  of  hand-painted 
roses,  which  tradition  assigns  to  the  city  of  Penn  pre- 
vious to  the  Revolution,  yet  we  have  no  knowledge  that 
polychrome  decoration  was  practised  in  this  country  at 
that  period.  Here  is  a  graceful  teapot  of  somewhat  simi- 
lar body,  decorated  with  clusters  of  minute  flowers  in 
natural  colors  and  bronze  bands,  bought  of  a  dealer  on 
the  assurance  that  it,  also,  had  been  made  in  Philadelphia 
more  than  a  century  ago. 

On  the  other  hand,  unmarked  pieces  of  undoubted 
genuineness  have  been  handed  down  to  us  carefully  from 
the  time  of  our  grandparents,  and  by  means  of  these  the 
ceramic  student  may  hope  to  be  enabled  to  penetrate  the 
vail  of  uncertainty  which  surrounds  others.  Fortunately, 
we  find  now  and  then  a  specimen  bearing  a  mark  among 
the  productions  of  discontinued  factories  of  the  present 
century.  We  can  at  least  commence  now  to  gather  to- 
gether what  is  still  to  be  procured  from  the  past  and  to 
collect  material  for  the  history  of  the  potter's  art  as  it 
exists  in  America  in  our  own  time.  Further  delay  would 
seem  inexcusable,  because  it  would  result  in  the  loss  of 
information,  which,  while  now  obtainable,  could  not  be 
procured  a  few  years  hence. 

No  attempt  has  ever  been  made,  so  far  as  we  know, 
to  compile  a  list  of  marks  and  makers'  designs  on  Ameri- 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


can  wares.  That  which  follows  is,  therefore,  necessarily 
imperfect,  but  it  will  serve  as  a  nucleus  for  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  more  complete  one  hereafter.  It  has  not  been 
deemed  necessary  to  include  all  of  the  trade  marks  which 
occur  on  the  ordinary  utilitarian  or  commercial  grades  of 
recent  wares,  many  of  which  appear  in  the  body  of  this 
work. 

THE  AMERICAN  CHINA  MANUFACTORY, 
PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Mark  used  in  1828,  painted  in 
red,  beneath  the  glaze.  A  porcelain 
lucioe*  %s  B\)!litvQ..      vase-shaped  pitcher  thus  marked 
^WAojd.et^Ai was  presented  to  the  Pennsylvania 
\%X%  Museum  in  Fairmount  Park,  Phila- 

delphia, by  Mr.  Charles  Henry 
Hart. 


Tucker  %  S-uulme 


t%2% 


Another  mark  used  in 
the  same  year.  Three 
decorated  porcelain  pitch- 
ers are  known  which  bear 
this  inscription,  in  red. 


In    1833    and  1834,  after  the 
iA        a  .    factory  had  passed  into  the  hands 

\  3oI  HempK*))     °    *    ge  Joseph   HemPhlll>  thls 
\a<l  mark  was  used  to  a  limited  extent 

on  decorated  pieces.    It  also  was 
26  painted  in  red  under  the  glaze. 


402 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


H 

V 


Workmen' s  Marks. 

These  were  scratched  in  the  paste  be- 
neath the  glaze.  They  are  numerous  on 
Tucker  and  Hemphill  porcelain,  but  at  this 
late  day  very  few  of  them  can  be  identified. 
Only  those  which  have  been  recognized  are 
given. 

This  letter  occurs  frequently  on  fine 
pitchers  and  other  pieces,  and  was  used  by 
Andrew  Craig  Walker,  who  worked  at  this 
factory  as  a  moulder. 

The  private  mark  of  Joseph  Morgan,  a 
moulder. 

Mark  of  Charles  Frederick,  a  moulder. 

William  Hand,  an  Englishman  and  a 
well-known  potter  in  the  old  Philadelphia 
potteries. 

The  mark  of  one  Vivian,  a  Frenchman. 


Mark  impressed  or  stamped  in 
the  red  body  of  Sgraffiato  ware 
made  by  Jacob  Sholl,  near  Tyler's 
Port,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  in 
1831.  Two  ornate  earthenware 
jars  from  this  pottery  have  re- 
cently  been  found    bearing  this 


4 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


mark,  which  was  evidently  made  with  an  engraved  stamp. 
Decorated  dishes  from  the  same  pottery  bear  the  above 
date. 


THE  JERSEY   CITY  POTTERY. 


AH- 


JEE5EYT  CITX 


4> 


POTTERY  Co 


LA 


Mark  used  by  D.  &  J.  Hender- 
son of  the  Jersey  City  Pottery, 
about  1830.  It  occurs  on  a  stone- 
ware "  Toby  Jug,"  impressed  in 
the  body. 

Mark  used  about  1840  by  the 
American  Pottery  Co.  of  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.  This  occurs  on  a 
cream-colored  water-pitcher,  with 
black  printed  portrait  of  General 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and 
picture  of  log-cabin.  The  mark 
is  printed  in  black  beneath  the 
glaze. 

Mark  used  at  Jersey  City  Pot- 
tery from  1840  to  about  1845, 
impressed  in  the  ware. 


Impressed  mark  used  at  Jer- 
sey City  Pottery  about  1840  and 
later.  This  is  found  on  a  many- 
sided  pitcher  with  Toby  head. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


THE  UNITED   STATES  POTTERY, 
BENNINGTON,  VT. 


\Fenton'sWbr/cs;\ 


Bennington,) 

Vermont, 


Mark  found  on  a  few  pieces  of  parian 
ware  supposed  to  antedate  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  U.  S.  Pottery,  Benning- 
ton, Vt.  Letters  impressed  in  a  raised 
panel. 


Mark  used  at  the  United 
States  Pottery  of  Lyman  and 
Fenton,  Bennington,  Vt.,  on 
parian  and  porcelain  about  1853. 
The  letters  and  figures  are  im- 
pressed in  a  raised  ribbon.  The 
figure  to  the  right  varies  on  dif- 
ferent pieces  and  was  probably 
the  pattern  number. 


^    v,Hto*f  ^ 

IMAMIL 
FAT 


Mark  used  on 
Lyman  &  Fen- 
ton's  Patent 
Flint  Enamelled 
ware,  in  1 849. 
Impressed. 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


POTTERY  Go*^) 
V  ^ 


Mark  used  on  "  scrodled  "  and 
other  ware  made  at  U.  S. 
Pottery.  Impressed. 


A.P.M.C? 


Mark  of  the  American  Porcelain  Manu- 
facturing Co.  of  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  from 
1854  to  1857.  Impressed  in  the  body  of 
the  ware. 

Impressed  mark  used  on  telegraph  in- 
sulators, and  probably  porcelain,  by  the 
Southern  Porcelain  Company,  of  Kaolin, 
South  Carolina,  previous  to,  and  at  the 
commencement  of,  the  Civil  War. 


THE  CHELSEA   KERAMIC  ART  WORKS. 


CHELSEA  KERAMIC 

AftTW0*K$ 


Chelsea  (Mass.)  Pottery  of  James 
Robertson  and  Sons.  This  mark  was 
employed  to  some  extent  between 
1875  and  1880  and  was  impressed  in 
the  clay. 

g  Stamped  or  impressed  in  art  pottery  made  at 

KA      the  Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Works  of  Robertson 
and  Sons  from  1875  t0  1889. 


Impressed  mark  used  by  the  Chelsea  Pot- 
tery, U.  S.,  at  Chelsea,  Mass.,  on  art  wares, 
from  1 89 1.    Hugh  C.  Robertson,  manager. 


406 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


THE  UNION   PORCELAIN  WORKS. 


U.P.W. 


I 


UNION 
PORCELAIN 

WORKS 
GREEN  POINT, 

N.V. 


/umon\ 

/P0RC£lain\ 
1    WORKS  I 


First  mark  used  by  the  Union  Porcelain  Works 
of  Messrs.  Thomas  C.  Smith  &  Sons,  Greenpoint, 
Long  Island,  adoped  1876  and  impressed  in  their 
commercial  hard  porcelain.  In  1877  the  same 
mark  was  printed  in  green  under  the  glaze. 

Mark  used  by  same  factory  since  1877,  printed 
in  green  under  the  glaze,  on  commercial  porcelain. 
In  a  few  instances,  this  mark  has  been  used  in 
raised  ornamental  form  on  large  exhibition  pieces, 
as  a  tablet  applied  to  the  bottom  of  the  ware. 

Decorating-shop  mark  used  at  the  Union 
Porcelain  Works  since  1879  !  printed  on  decor- 
ated porcelain,  usually  in  red,  over  the  glaze. 

Decorating-shop  mark  adopted  in  August, 
1 89 1 . 


GREENWOOD   POTTERY  COMPANY. 


Mark  first  used  on  the  Greenwood  Pottery 
art  wares,  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  about  1883  to 
1886,  printed  in  purple.  The  Nc  Plus  Ultra 
art  pottery  was  copied  from  the  Royal 
Worcester,  having  an  ivory  finish  and  raised 
gold  decoration.  The  figures  in  the  centre 
indicate  the  date  of  the  establishment  of  this 
factory  (1861),  the  design  having  been  sug- 
gested by  the  Worcester  mark. 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


Stamp  used  on  hard  porcelain  body  art 
ware,  printed  in  purple  beneath  the  glaze, 
from  1886  to  the  present  time. 


A  modification  of  the  above,  also  used  on 
art  ware. 


THE  NEW   ENGLAND   POTTERY  CO.,   EAST  BOSTON,  MASS. 


N.E.P.  Co- 


Mark  used  on  ironstone  china  by 
Messrs.  Thomas  Gray  and  L.  W.  Clark, 
from  1878  to  1883. 


Bird  stamp,  New  England  Pot- 
tery Co.,  used  on  a  special  order  of 
goods  made  by  this  company  for  a 
purchaser.  Stamped  or  printed  on 
plates,  etc.,  in  black,  under  the  glaze. 


Used  on  stone  china  from  1883 
to  1886. 


4o8         PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CP  LA  IN. 


Printed  in  black  on  "  C.  C'orcream- 
^Dcolored  ware,  under  the  glaze. 


R1ETI 


Printed  in  black,  under  the  glaze,  on 
stone  china  and  white  granite  wares,  since 
1886. 


Printed  in  black,  under  the  glaze,  on  "  Rieti  " 
ware,  from  1886  to  1888. 


Printed  in  black,  under  the  glaze,  on 
colored  bodies,  denominated  "  Rieti"  ware, 
from  1888  to  1889. 

Printed  in  red,  above  the  glaze,on 
"  Rieti  "  and  the  finer  decorated  wares,  since 
1889. 


ROOKWOOD. 


Mark  used  at  the  Rookwood  Pot- 
tery, Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from   1880  to 
1882,  to  a  limited  extent.     This  was 
designed  by  Mr.   H.  F.   Farny,  and 
printed  on  the  ware  in  black,  beneath 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


the  glaze.  In  1883  a  small  kiln  mark  was  impressed  in 
the  ware  made  during  that  year. 


Mark  used  on  a  few  pieces  in  1882,  impressed 
%\   in  the  clay. 


Special  mark  used 
only  on  a  trade  piece 
(large  beer  tankard 
with  raised  figures) 
made  expressly  for  the 
Cincinnati  Cooperage 
Company,  in  1882.  The 
letters  are  impressed  on 
a  raised  ribbon. 


ROOK  WOOD         Employed  on  art  pieces  made  from 

1882  to   1886,  the  date  being  changed 
1882.         each  year.     Impressed  in  the  clay. 


5P 


Mark  adopted  in  June,  1886,  and  used  during 
the  remainder  of  that  year,  impressed. 


In  1887  a  flame  point  was  placed  above  the 
%      monogram  to  indicate  that  year,  and  one  point 
has  been  added  each  year  since,  so  that  the  date 
mark  used  on  pieces  made  in  1893  possesses 
seven  points. 


5P 


PO  T  TER  Y  AND  POP  CP  LA  IN. 


c 

Cream-colored  clay. 

R 

Red  clay. 

W 

White  clay. 

s 

Sage-green  clay. 

Y 

Yellow  clay. 

G 

Ginger-colored  clay. 

O 

Olive  clay. 

Body  marks  impressed 
in  the  clay. 


PHCENIXVILLE  POTTERY. 


Mark  used  by  Messrs.  Griffen  & 
Smith,  at  the  Phcenixville  (Pa.),  Pot- 
tery, between  1880  and  1890,  on 
majolica  ware.  Impressed. 


The  central  monogram  was  also  used  on 
majolica  or  C.  C.  ware,  alone.  It  is  com- 
posed of  the  letters  G.,  S.,  &  H.,  Griffen, 
Smith,  &  Hill.  The  words  Etruscan 
Majolica  were  sometimes  impressed  in  a 
straight  line. 


Mark  used  on  a  peculiar  vitrified  porcelain 
body  with  underglaze  color  effects,  the  color, 
glaze,  and  body  being  thoroughly  incorporated 
together  ;  made  by  Prof.  Isaac  Broome  at  Tren- 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS.  411 

ton,  in  1880,  on  a  throwing  wheel.  Only  about  one  hun- 
dred small  vases  of  this  character  were  produced.  These 
pieces,  different  from  any  other  ware  made  in  America, 
are  scattered  among  collectors,  and  are  highly  prized  for 
their  beauty  and  rarity.  This  mark  is  an  arbitrary  one, 
being  a  modification  of  the  sign  of  the  planet  Jupiter, 
and  should  not  be  confused  with  that  used  on  old 
Plymouth  (England)  porcelain,  which  is  somewhat  similar. 


THE   CHESAPEAKE   POTTERY,  BALTIMORE,  MD. 


Mark  used  to  some  extent  by  Messrs. 
D.  F.  Haynes  &  Co.,  on  their  "Clifton" 
ware,  belonging  to  the  majolica  family. 
Adopted  before  1883. 

Used  occasionally  on  "  Avalon  "  ware, 
about  same  period. 


Used  on  "  Ivory  Body  "  ware,  same  time. 


Used  on  semi-porcelain  ware.  These 
marks,  however,  were  employed  only  to 
a  limited  extent,  the  greater  portion  of 
the  ware  being  unmarked. 


4 1 2  POTTER  Y  AND  PORCELAIN. 


"tRUNDEl. 


ARUNDEL. 


CtEN  ROSE. 

0|C 


Marks  adopted  in  1889  to  designate  the 
style  of  decoration  and  shape.  They  were 
printed  over  the  glaze  in  the  same  colors  as 
the  decoration.  The  letters  C.  P.  stand  for 
Chesapeake  Pottery  ;  H.  B.  for  Haynes  and 
Bennett.  Other  marks,  with  slight  variations, 
were  also  used. 


Mark  used  at  the  Hampshire  Pottery 
of  J.  S.  Taft  &  Co.,  of  Keene,  N.  H., 
printed  in  red  above  the  glaze,  on  art 
ware  of  an  opaque  white  body. 


THE  CINCINNATI   ART  POTTERY. 


The  earliest  mark  of  the  Cincinnati  Art 
Pottery  Co.  was  a  little  turtle.  Later  it 
was  discovered  that  an  Indian  name  for 
turtle  was  "  Kezonta,"  which  name  was 
added  to  the  device  about  1886.  The  mark 
opposite  was  printed  on  the  finer  grades  of 
ware,  in  red. 


Mark  impressed  on  the  plainer 
wares,  such  as  the  blue  and  white 
pottery  for  decorators. 


MARKS  AND  MONOGRAMS. 


4i3 


OTT  &   BREWER  CO.,   TRENTON,   N.  J. 


Mark  used  on  opaque  china  table  ware. 

CHINA 

BELLEEK 

Mark  used  on  fine  egg-shell  Bel- 
leek  ware,  printed  in  red  above  the 
glaze. 

st  .  ?.  e.  • 

Another  mark  in  red  or  brown  overglaze. 


Willets  Manufacturing  Co.,  Trenton,  N. 
J. — Mark  printed  in  red  above  the  glaze,  on 
decorated  Belleek  ware. 


CERAMIC  ART  CO. 

Overglaze  stamp,  printed  on  "  Belleek  ' 
ware,  made  by  the  Ceramic  Art  Co.,  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  in  red,  since  1889. 


Used  on  art  ware  of  the  Pauline 
Pottery  Co.  of  Edgerton,  Wis.,  since 
1888.  On  the  earlier  productions 
this  mark  was  impressed.  On  the  later 
it  is  printed. 


v»ur  ts 


4i4         POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


Impressed  mark  used  on  underglaze  art 
LONHUDA    ware  ma<^e  by  the  Lonhuda  Pottery  Co., 
•rn         Steubenville,  Ohio,  1892.    The  lower  mark 
jjg         is  the  monogram  L.  P.  Co.   On  some  of  the 
later  pieces,  after  native  American  designs, 
the  figure  of  an  Indian's  head  is  impressed. 


FMG 


Mark  used  on  decorated  faience  and 
porcelain  made  by  the  Faience  Manufactur- 
ing Co.  of  New  York,  1886  to  1892. 

Incised  mark  used  on  majolica  and 
so-called  barbotine  ware  by  the  Faience 
Manufacturing  Co.  of  New  York. 


j03Tc^  Printed  mark  used  on  thin  art  porcelain  of 

I  c&na^  the  American  Art  China  Works,  of  Messrs. 
vgAft&P     Rittenhouse,  Evans,  &  Co.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 


Mark  of  Messrs.  Morris  &  Willmore, 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  manufacturers  of  art  wares, 
adopted  in  1893. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


TILES  FOR  DECORATIVE  EFFECT. 

NEXT  to  paintings,  etchings,  and  engravings,  nothing 
can  be  more  effective  for  wall  decoration  than  artis- 
tically modelled  tiles,  in  which  color  and  shading 
are  replaced  by  contour.  The  tile  designer  combines  the 
arts  of  the  painter  and  the  sculptor,  and  his  ceramic 
creations,  partaking  both  of  the  nature  of  pictures  and  of 
delicate  carvings,  are  well  deserving  of  a  place  among  the 
objects  of  art  which  adorn  the  dwellings  of  the  cultured. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  while  the  art  of  tile 
making  in  this  country  is  practically  not  more  than  fifteen 
years  old,  the  United  States  to-day  excels  the  world  in  the 
manufacture  of  relief  figure  tiles  and  tile  panels.  True  it 
is  that  we  have  had  the  benefit  of  the  skill  and  knowledge 
of  some  of  the  foremost  modellers  of  Europe,  who  have 
come  to  our  shores,  but  we  have  also  developed  a  number 
of  American  sculptors,  whose  work,  in  this  direction,  has 
fully  equalled  the  best  that  has  yet  been  accomplished. 
Within  the  past  year  or  so  we  have  progressed  with  such 
marvellous  rapidity  in  the  mechanical,  as  well  as  the  artis- 
tic, treatment  of  clays  and  glazes,  that  we  are  now  able  to 
produce  tile  panels  of  eighteen  to  thirty  inches  in  length, 

415 


416 


PO  TTER  Y  AND  FOR CELAIN. 


in  a  single  piece,  with  almost  the  same  facility  with  which 
it  was  possible  formerly  to  make  six-inch  tiles.  Many  of 
these  tile  sculptures  are  genuine  works  of  art,  and  should 
be  displayed  in  a  tasteful  and  appropriate  manner. 

What  we  call  taste  is  merely  the  ability  to  recognize 
that  which  is  beautiful.  We  are  endowed  with  what  is 
commonly  termed  good  or  poor  taste  according  to  the  de- 
gree of  perfection  to  which  this  faculty  has  been  developed. 
He  who  is  said  to  possess  poor  taste  is  that  one  who  is 
deficient  in  this  perceptive  faculty,  and  is  therefore  unable 
to  appreciate  the  harmonious  relation  of  conditions  which 
constitute  the  beautiful.  Fashion  is  often  the  perverter 
of  taste,  and  fashions  frequently  change,  but  beauty  is 
ever  governed  by  fixed  laws  of  nature.  And  so,  when  we 
see  a  beautiful  picture  in  clay,  modelled  with  the  skill  of  a 
true  artist,  it  is  not  a  mere  "  matter  of  taste,"  or,  in  other 
words,  a  question  of  individual  opinion  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  it  shall  be  mounted  to  bring  out  its  beauties  the 
most  effectively.  We  are  too  prone  to  accept  the  dictates 
of  fashion  in  such  matters,  without  regard  to  the  suita- 
bility of  contrasting  materials,  but  experiment  will  often 
point  out  to  us  the  path  which  leads  to  good  taste.  Thus 
custom  has  almost  succeeded  in  convincing  us  that  a  glazed 
art  tile,  when  used  for  decorative  effect,  should  always  be 
placed  in  a  perishable,  plush-covered  frame,  instead  of  in 
a  light,  graceful  setting.  Fashion  might  seek  to  persuade 
us  that  a  fine  oil  painting  would  appear  to  the  best  advan- 
tage in  a  framework  of  incongruous  velvet,  but  good  taste 
could  never  be  thus  deceived.  The  coloring  of  the  canvas 
requires  the  plain,  rich  contrast  of  the  gilded  frame.  On 


TILES  FOR  DECORATIVE  EFFECT  417 


the  other  hand  such  a  setting  would  prove  unsuitable  for 
tiles,  except  in  rare  instances,  as  where  white  or  cream- 
colored  designs  are  mounted  in  light  openwork  frames  of 
£old. 

.  We  see  in  the  window  of  one  of  the  foremost  art 
stores  a  modelled  tile  surrounded  with  a  broad  plush 
frame,  decorated  with  brass  mountings.  The  whole  ap- 
pears stiff,  dull,  and  unattractive.  We  place  a  similar 
panel  in  a  light  wooden  frame  of  soft  ivory  white,  deli- 


217. — Light  Blue  Double  Panel,  Oxidized  Silver  Frame.     Low  Art  Tile. 

Designed  by  Arthur  Osborne. 

cately  carved  and  pierced,  and  the  surface  at  once  lights 
up  with  life,  and  its  beauties  are  fully  revealed. 

The  coloring  of  the  glaze  or  enamel  which  covers  the 
tile  sculptures  must  largely  govern  the  character  of  their 
setting.  In  general,  dark-colored  tiles  should  be  framed 
in  ivory  white.  Light-blue  may  be,  with  good  effect, 
placed  in  wooden  frames  of  oxidized  silver,  but  in  all 
cases  the  moulding  should  be  chased  or  carved  to  produce 
the  appearance  of  lightness.    In  some  instances  a  border 

of  delicately  tinted  silk  plush  may  be  inserted  between  the 

27 


4i8 


PO TTER  Y  AND  POP CELA IN. 


frame  and  picture,  as,  when  the  former  is  of  old  ivory  and 
the  latter  of  a  cool  gray  color,  a  narrow  line  of  pink  or 
light  terra-cotta  may  be  added  with  excellent  results.  An 
ochre  or  burnt  umber  glaze  will  often  harmonize  with  a 
terra-cotta  moulding,  but  the  ivory-colored  frame  will 
produce  a  dainty  effect  in  combination  with  almost  any 
tint  of  glazing. 

Beautiful  as  are  the  highly  glazed  and  enamelled 

products  of  the  tile  kiln, 
they  sometimes  acquire 
an  additional  charm  when 
subjected  to  the  sand- 
blast process,  which  im- 
parts a  softness  and  deli- 
cacy of  effect  to  the 
sculptures  not  otherwise 
obtainable.  The  achieve- 
ment of  a  dull  finished 
surface  on  decorative  tiles 
is  a  distinct  step  forward 
in  the  direction  of  artistic 
treatment,  just  as  the  dull 
gold  ornamentation  of  a 
porcelain  vase  is  generally  a  vast  improvement  over  the 
harsh  burnished  gilding  which  is  so  often  suggestive  of 
commercial  cheapness.  To  this  latter  style  of  tile  finish 
the  judicious  application  of  plush  mountings  would  be 
more  harmonious  than  to  a  glazed  surface,  and,  in  certain 
instances,  as  where  a  tile  of  a  delicately  tinted,  velvety 
surface  is  framed  in  plush  of  a  darker  shade  of  the  same 
color,  a  rich  effect  may  be  secured. 


218. — "  Sappho."  Purplish-Gray  Glaze, 
in  Ivory  Frame  and  Pink  Plush  Bor- 
der. Beaver  Falls  Art  Tile  Co. 
Designed  by  Prof.  Isaac  Broome. 


TILES  FOR  DECORATIVE  EFFECT.  419 

A  six-  by  eighteen-inch  pastoral  panel,  made  by  the 
Trent  Tile  Company,  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  in  their  "  Trent 
finish,"  is  here  figured.  The  glaze  is  of  a  dainty  shade  of 
claret,  the  frame  of  old  ivory  (111.  220). 

The  framing  of  art  tiles  should  be  governed,  in  a  large 
degree,  by  the  subject  of  the  design,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  the  tinting  of  the  glazes  employed.  Panels 
symbolical  of  the  four  seasons 
should  be  colored,  as  a  general 
rule,  in  keeping  with  the  idea 
intended  to  be  conveyed. 
Thus  "  Spring  "  should  be 
finished  in  a  delicate  apple- 
green  or  apple-blossom  pink ; 
"  Summer "  in  azure  blue  ; 
"  Autumn  "  in  light  red-brown 
or  umber,  and  "  Winter"  in  a 
dainty  shade  of  French  gray. 
Suitable  frames  for  these  tones 
of  glazing  are  white  or  blue, 
oxidized  silver  with  pink  orna- 
mentation, dark  terra-cotta, 
and  pink,  respectively.  A  set 
of  twelve-  by  eighteen-inch 
"Season"  panels,  so  finished, 
by  the  American  Encaustic  Tiling  Company,  of  Zanes- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  mounted  in  accordance  with  these  sug- 
gestions, are  among  the  most  beautiful  works  of  art  in 
our  collection. 

In  hanging  framed  tiles,  it  would  be  well  to  choose 
subjects  which  are  in  keeping  with  the  positions  selected. 


219. — Olive-Green  Glaze  in  Old 
Ivory  Setting.     Low  Art 
Tile.    Designed  by 
Osborne. 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN, 


220. — Pastoral  Panel  in  Dull  Finish.    Glaze  ok  Pale  Claret,  Framed  in 
Old  Ivory.    Trent  Tile  Company.     Modelled  by  Gallimore. 


221 


—"  Spring  "  Panel.    Pale  Apple-Green  Glaze,  Framed  in  Pinkish 
White.     American  Encaustic  Tiling  Co.    Designed  by 
Herman  Mueller. 


TILES  FOR  DECORA  TIVE  EFFECT.  421 


Ideal  heads,  modellings  of  child  and  female  forms,  and 
designs  after  paintings  may  with  propriety  be  placed  in  the 
parlor  ;  portrait  tiles  and  plastic  sketches,  in  the  library  ; 
game  and  sporting  tiles,  in  the 
dinine-room  or  hall  ;  while 
designs  of  a  more  general 
character,  such  as  pastoral  and 
season  panels,  may,  with  good 
taste,  be  hung  in  any  part  of 
the  house. 

Art  tiles  may  also  be  util- 
ized in  other  ways  for  interior 
decoration.  A  good  effect 
may  be  obtained  by  attaching 
a  set  of  three  framed  panels 
to  the  woodwork  of  the  man- 
tel facing,  a  vertical  design 
being  hung  or  nailed  on  each 
side  and  a  horizontal  one 
across  the  top.  When  so 
utilized,  the  tile  frames  should 
harmonize,  in  material  and 
carving,  with  the  background. 

By  thus  applying  aesthetic 
principles  to  the  preparation 
of  art  tiles  for  interior  decora- 
tion, incongruous  combina- 
tions of  colors  and  materials,  which  detract  from  the 
beauty  of  the  objects  themselves,  are  avoided  and  we 
have  genuine  works  of  art  which  are  creditable  alike  to 


222. — Three-Tile  Panel — "Twi- 
light." Blue  Glaze,  Cream 
White  Frame.  United  States 
Encaustic  Tile  Works.  De- 
signed by  Miss  Ruth  Winter- 

BOTHAM. 


422 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


the  modeller,  the  manufacturer,  and  the  purchaser.  Al- 
ready our  tile-makers  have  produced  many  of  these 
"  pictures  in  clay,"  which,  as  examples  of  the  fine  arts,  are 
worthy  of  a  place  in  any  home,  and  the  rapid  development 
of  this  branch  of  the  ceramic  art  promises  to  furnish  us, 
at  an  early  day,  with  works  of  a  still  higher  art  value, 
which  are  destined  in  a  great  measure  to  replace  the  more 
expensive  paintings  and  water-colors  on  the  walls  of  our 
dwellings. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

THE  history  of  pottery  and  porcelain  in  America,  as 
presented  in  the  foregoing  pages,  may  be  summed 
up  briefly  as  follows  : 
Building  bricks  were  made  in  Virgin ia  as  early  as  1 6 1 2. 
White  ware  was  first  manufactured  in  this  country 
about  1684. 

*  Clay  tobacco-pipes  of  European  design  were  probably 
first  made  in  America  in  1690. 

Terra-cotta  roofing  tiles  were  made  in  Pennsylvania 
previous  to  the  year  1 740. 

Slip-decorated  earthenware  was  fabricated  in  Pennsyl- 
vania as  early  as  1 760. 

The  earliest  attempt  to  manufacture  white  ware  (and 
possibly  porcelain)  with  underglaze  decorations  was  made 
in  Philadelphia  in  1770. 

William  Ellis  Tucker,  of  Philadelphia,  was  the  first 
to  successfully  produce  hard  porcelain,  in  the  year  1825. 

The  first  Rockingham  ware  was  made  in  the  United 
States  at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  by  James  Bennett  in  1839. 

Transfer  printing  from  engraved  plates  was  first  ap- 

423 


424  PO  TTER  Y  AND  POP  CELAIN. 

plied  to  pottery  in  this  country  at  the  Jersey  City  Pottery 
previous  to  1840. 

Parian  ware  was  first  produced  at  Bennington,  Ver- 
mont, about  the  year  1846. 

Inlaid  floor-tiles  were  made  at  the  United  States  Pot- 
tery in  Bennington  in  1853. 

Pottery  coat-buttons  were  manufactured  at  Norwalk, 
Connecticut,  about  the  same  time. 

Architectural  terra-cotta  was  not  made  in  the  United 
States  until  about  1870. 

Ornamental  relief  tiles  were  not  produced  until  after 
the  Centennial  Exposition. 

Belleek  or  egg-shell  porcelain  was  first  made  in  this 
country,  at  Trenton,  in  1884. 

The  Great  Exhibition  of  1876  marked  the  ceramic 
art  movement  which  has  since  resulted  in  the  wonderful 
development  of  the  pottery  industry  in  this  country. 

For  more  than  a  century  intelligent  and  public- 
spirited  men  and  women  in  Europe  have  been  interested 
in  gathering  together,  from  the  four  corners  of  the  globe, 
examples  of  ceramic  manufactures,  which,  above  all  other 
objects  of  human  industry,  have  been  instrumental  in 
recording  the  history  of  nations,  the  customs  and  manners 
of  peoples,  and  the  artistic  progress  of  races.  Sovereigns 
and  subjects  have  vied  with  each  other  in  forming  collec- 
tions of  the  quaint,  the  curious,  the  beautiful  in  art,  as 
exemplified  in  the  handiwork  of  the  potter. 

In  our  own  country  no  serious  attempts  were  made  in 
this  direction  by  collectors  until  a  comparatively  recent 
period,  and  previous  to  1876  but  few  private  or  public 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS.  425 

collections  of  potteries  or  porcelains  could  be  found  in 
the  United  States.  Since  the  Philadelphia  Exhibition, 
however,  widespread  interest  has  been  awakened  among 
students  and  collectors  in  the  ceramic  art,  and  to-day 
many  valuable  cabinets  are  to  be  found  in  the  land  filled 
with  rare  and  costly  examples  of  Old  World  skill.  We 
have  our  specialists  who  confine  themselves  to  the  study 
of  Oriental  art ;  our  collectors  of  Grecian  and  Roman 
potteries  ;  our  ceramists  who  are  particularly  interested  in 
the  wares  of  mediaeval  Europe,  of  Sevres,  of  Wedgwood, 
and  a  few  general  collectors  who  cover  the  fictile  arts  of 
the  world.  The  one  fertile  field,  however,  from  which 
we  may  expect  to  reap  the  most  abundant  harvest,  has 
thus  far  been  neglected,  although  a  step  has  been  made 
in  the  right  direction  by  one  of  our  prominent  public 
institutions,  the  Pennsylvania  Museum,  of  Philadelphia, 
which  has  recently  commenced  the  formation  of  a  collec- 
tion of  American  wares  to  illustrate  the  history  and 
development  of  the  potter's  art  in  the  United  States  from 
the  first  settlement  of  the  country  to  the  present  time, 
which  shall  serve  as  a  permanent  reference  collection  for 
the  student  and  the  artisan. 

The  unreasonable  prejudice  which  has  heretofore 
existed  against  American  ceramic  production  is  rapidly 
disappearing  as  the  discriminating  public  becomes  more 
familiar  with  them.  One  of  the  foremost  pottery  concerns 
in  this  country,  which  was  a  few  years  ago  forced  to  re- 
move its  trade-mark  from  its  goods,  in  order  to  insure 
their  sale  in  the  home  market,  has  recently  resumed  the 
marking  of  its  wares,  because  the  people  have  discovered 


426  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


that  they  are  fully  equal,  in  every  respect,  to  imported 
china  of  the  same  class.  It  has  not  been  more  than  three 
or  four  years  since  a  leading  jewelry  establishment  in  one 
of  our  large  cities  refused  to  handle  the  thin  Belleek 
china  made  in  Trenton,  unless  stamped  with  a  foreign  or 
misleading  mark.  To-day  these  wares  are  meeting  with 
an  extensive  sale  on  their  own  merits  and  through  the 
domestic  marks  which  are  placed  upon  them. 

Our  potters  are  themselves  largely  responsible  for  the 
ignorance  of  the  American  public  in  respect  to  the  progress 
which  has  been  made  in  this  country  in  ceramic  manufac- 
ture. The  inquirer  is  met  at  the  outset  by  an  almost  in- 
surmountable difficulty  in  ascertaining  where  many  of  the 
best  wares  are  to  be  procured.  Some  of  the  most  meri- 
torious productions  of  prominent  potteries  are  rarely  seen 
on  sale  outside  of  their  respective  warerooms,  and  a  search 
through  the  crockery  shops  of  any  of  our  cities  will  bear 
but  scanty  fruit  in  the  discovery  of  American  wares.  Even 
in  Trenton,  the  manufacturing  centre  for  the  finest  Ameri- 
can goods,  it  is  impossible  to  see  the  various  manufactures 
of  different  establishments  without  visiting  some  thirty 
separate  works.  Not  until  a  permanent  bourse  or  ex- 
change shall  be  established,  by  a  combination  of  the 
potters  of  this  country,  can  the  general  public  be  fully 
educated  to  the  knowledge  that  the  best  pottery  and 
porcelain  can  be  purchased  at  home.  The  petty  jealousies 
which  actuate  many  of  our  manufacturers  must  be  over- 
come, and  they  must  consent  to  enter  into  friendly  rivalry 
before  they  can  hope  to  successfully  present  their  claims 
for  popular  favor.    Every  important  city  should  have  its 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS.  427 

exchange  where  the  best  wares  from  all  sections  can  be 
congregated  together  for  examination  and  comparison. 
Such  a  movement  would  benefit  all  of  our  potters  and 
eventually  result  in  the  decreased  consumption  of  im- 
ported goods  and  the  large  increase  of  exports. 

Another  means  of  fostering,  to  some  extent,  our  home 
manufactures  would  be  the  refusal  to  admit  foreign-made 
wares  to  any  of  our  exhibitions  of  decorative  execution. 
Awards  of  merit  should  be  confined  to  work  done  by  our 
professionals  and  amateurs  on  American  bodies.  There  is 
no  reason  for  the  selection  of  imported  china  by  decorators 
when  our  own  manufactories  are  producing  wares  for  orna- 
mentation in  sufficient  variety  and  of  equal,  if  not  superior, 
excellence  to  any  that  are  imported  for  this  purpose. 

The  possibilities  of  American  art  should  appeal  strongly 
to  our  art  patrons,  and  our  potters  should  receive  the  en- 
couragement which  wealthy  connoisseurs  have  heretofore 
confined  to  foreign  factories.  Where  could  their  patronage 
be  more  worthily  and  profitably  bestowed  than  upon  the 
artistic  conceptions  of  our  manufacturers,  which  only  need 
proper  recognition  to  insure  greater  originality  and  a  still 
higher  order  of  merit  ? 

We  cannot  but  believe  that  it  should  be  the  duty  of 
those  high  in  authority  in  the  National  Government  to 
give  their  support  to  this  branch  of  our  national  industry. 
The  un-American  sentiment  which  actuates  the  ordering 
of  a  service  of  china  from  abroad  for  use  in  State  cere- 
monies should  be  discountenanced  by  our  patriotic  citizens. 
We  are  fully  capable  of  producing  table  services  equal  to 
the  best  that  can  be  obtained  from  foreign  factories,  and 


« 


428  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELAIN. 


our  manufacturers  are  certainly  entitled  to  official  recogni- 
tion. It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  already  some  of  our 
Chief  Executives  have  patronized  home  manufactures  by 
commissioning  Americans  to  make  special  services  for  the 
White  House,  and  the  recent  example  of  a  cabinet  officer 
selecting  a  dinner  set  for  his  own  table  from  a  Trenton 
factory,  after  considering  many  which  were  submitted  in 
competition,  is  one  which,  we  trust,  may  be  extensively 
emulated  in  the  future. 

Thus  far  our  potters  have  been,  in  a  great  measure, 
imitative  rather  than  inventive,  and  the  result  is  that  we 
have  largely  reproduced,  though  in  a  most  creditable  man- 
ner, patterns  and  designs,  bodies,  glazes,  and  decorations, 
of  foreign  factories.  With  some  few  exceptions,  our 
commercial  manufacturers  have  been  content  to  copy  and 
imitate  the  products  of  foreign  establishments  and  have, 
in  consequence,  unconsciously  assisted  in  perpetuating 
certain  offences  against  good  taste,  as,  for  instance,  in  the 
continued  production  of  the  ancient  style  of  table  plates 
with  depressed  centres  and  horizontal  borders,  the  modern 
use  of  individual  salts,  butters,  and  bread  and  butter  plates 
rendering  the  plate  rim  no  longer  necessary.  It  should, 
therefore,  be  discarded  as  being  obsolete  and  inelegant. 
The  most  convenient,  useful,  and  graceful  form  of  plate  is 
that  with  the  simple,  sweeping,  curved  line,  not  made,  how- 
ever, except  by  a  few  progressive  English  potters. 

Our  producers  have  also  yet  to  learn  that  modern 
table  etiquette  demands  a  reduction  in  the  size  of  many 
pieces  intended  for  family  use.  It  is  no  longer  necessary 
to  make  butter  dishes  and  gravy  boats  large  enough  to 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 


serve  the  purpose  of  vegetable  dishes,  nor  the  latter  of  a 
capacity  sufficient  for  an  ordinary  soup  tureen.  The  in- 
creasing refinement  of  our  modern  civilization  rebels 
against  the  continued  use  of  the  capacious  and  clumsy 
utensils  of  pre-Centennial  times.  While  the  quality  of 
our  domestic  table  wares  is  not  inferior  to  that  of  the 
foreign,  the  commercial  element  in  design  and  workman- 
ship must  be  made  secondary  to  the  artistic  before  our 
manufacturers  can  expect  the  more  cultured  classes  to 
abandon,  to  any  great  extent,  the  imported  for  domestic 
manufactures.  We  are  progressing  rapidly  in  the  right 
direction,  however,  and  some  of  the  designs  of  a  few  of 
our  more  progressive  potteries  have  been  copied  exten- 
sively by  English  and  German  factories.  The  modelling 
of  pieces  for  services  is  receiving  more  careful  attention, 
and  underglaze  decorations  are  gradually  superseding  the 
inappropriate  and  unsubstantial  overglaze  work  in  table 
ware. 

One  of  our  acquaintances,  who  is  greatly  interested  in 
American  china,  recently  conceived  the  idea  of  giving  a 
series  of  mid-day  entertainments  to  her  lady  friends, 
which  she  christened  "  American  Luncheons,"  for  the 
reason  that  not  only  was  the  bill-of-fare  distinctively  Ameri- 
can, but  the  china  ware  used  on  the  table  was  entirely  of 
American  manufacture.  As  this  suggestion  may  be  fol- 
lowed by  others  with  profit,  we  subjoin  a  sample 

MENU. 

BLUE   POINTS  ON  HALF-SHELL. 

{Oyster  Plates  of  Mazarine  Blue,  made  by  the  New  England  Pottery 

Co.,  East  Boston,  Mass.) 


POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN. 


BOUILLON. 

(Two-handled,  covered  cups,  Belleek  ware,  made  by  the  Willets  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  Trenton.) 

CREAMED    SALMON.      SARATOGA  CHIPS. 

(Semi-Porcelain  Plates,  Clifton  shape,  underglaze  blue  "  peony  "  deco- 
ration, made  by  the  Chesapeake  Pottery,  Baltimore,  Md.) 

BROILED  QUAIL,   CURRANT  JELLY. 

(Semi-Porcelain  Plates,  underglaze  Royal  Blue  decoration,  made  by 
International  Pottery  Co.,  Trenton.) 

SWEETBREAD  PATES. 

(Fluted  China  Shells,  made  by  International  Pottery  Co.,  Trenton.) 

BREADED   LAMB   CHOPS   WITH  MUSHROOMS. 

(Thin  vitreous  China  Plates,  made  by  the  Greenwood  Pottery  Co., 

Trenton.) 

TOMATO  SALAD. 
CHEESE   AND  WAFERS. 

(Thin  China  Plates,  made  by   Knowles,  Taylor,  &   Knowles,  East 

Liverpool,  O.) 

NESSELRODE  PUDDING. 

(Ice-cream  cups  on  platters  of  thin  Belleek  China,  made  by  Ceramic 

Art  Co.,  Trenton.) 

COFFEE. 

(After-Dinner  Coffees  of  Egg-Shell  China,  made  by  the  Ott  &  Brewer 

Co.,  Trenton.) 

At  the  four  corners  of  the  centre-piece  were  Cupid 
candelabra,  made  by  the  Ceramic  Art  Co.,  and  in  the 
centre  an  artistic  jardiniere  from  the  Burroughs  and 
Mountford  factory,  of  Trenton,  containing  ferns.  On 
the  table  were  faience  almond-shells  in  underglaze  decora- 
tion, from  the  Rookwood  Pottery,  Cincinnati,  with  salted 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 


peanuts  ;  bonbonnieres  in  underglaze,  triangular  and  heart- 
shaped,  after  the  Japanese  Kioto  ware,  made  at  the  Pau- 
line Art  Pottery,  Edgerton,  Wis. ;  individual  salts  of  pink 
Belleek,  in  the  form  of  snail-shells,  from  the  Etruria  Pot- 
tery of  Ott  &  Brewer  ;  bread  and  butter  plates,  from  the 
Willets  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  butter  spreaders,  with 
decorated  china  handles,  made  by  the  Ceramic  Art  Com- 
pany. Beside  each  guest  was  a  delicate  souvenir  consist- 
ing of  a  china  shell  flower,  holding  sweet  violets,  from 
the  American  Art  China  Works  of  Trenton.  No  foreign 
productions  could  be  more  dainty  and  artistic  than  this 
combination  of  domestic  wares,  though  selections  from 
other  American  potteries  could  have  been  made  with 
equally  satisfactory  results. 

Some  of  the  most  prominent  ceramic  artists  and 
artisans  of  England,  France,  and  Germany  are  now  con- 
nected with  our  American  manufactories,  contributing 
their  experience  and  skill  in  the  elevation  and  improvement 
of  the  standards  of  our  productions.  The  United  States 
have  also  produced  potters,  designers,  decorators,  and 
modellers  who  stand  in  the  front  rank  of  progressive 
workers  in  this  branch  of  industry,  and  the  art  schools 
and  industrial  institutions  which  have  been  established 
in  many  parts  of  the  land  are  educating  our  youth  in  the 
practical  arts,  and  preparing  them  for  this  new  field  of 
labor.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  at  no  very  distant  day,  a 
National  School  of  Pottery  and  Porcelain  may  be  insti- 
tuted, under  the  auspices  of  the  Federal  Government. 

The  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  legends,  "  Made  in 
England,"  "  Made  in  France,"  or  "  Made  in  Germany  " 


43 2  PO  TTER  Y  A  ND  FOR  CELAIN. 

will  not  be  necessary  to  insure  the  sale  of  ceramic  pro- 
ductions in  this  country.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  rapidly 
approaching  that  time  when  the  purchasing  public  will 
discriminate  in  favor  of  such  wares  as  shall  bear  the 
marks  of  domestic  manufactories,  or  the  words  "  Made  in 
the  Un ited  States. 


INDEX. 


Abbatt,  Robert,  118 
Abbott,  Dr.  C.  C,  48,  342 
Aboriginal  pottery,  24 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadel- 
phia, 42 
Adams,  Harvey,  325 
Agnew,  Wilton,  139 
Akron,  Ohio,  334 
Akron  Stoneware  Agency,  334 
Alabama  war  ship,  190 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  112 
Albert  ware,  17,  90 
Albertine  ware,  90 
Allen,  Yates,  &  Bennett,  305 
Alpaugh  &  Magowan,  238 
Alrich,  John  C,  359 

American  Art  China  Works,  241,  414, 
431 

American  China  Co.,  240 
American  China  Manufactory,   126,  154, 
401 

American  Crockery  Co.,  305 

American  Encaustic  Tiling  Co.,  353,  358, 

360,  419,  420 
American  Institute,  N.  Y.,  132,  194,  228 
American  Museum  Natural  History,  28 
American  Porcelain  Manufacturing  Co., 

183,  405 
American  Pottery  Co.,  179,  403 
American    Pottery    Manufacturing  Co., 

119,  121,  125 
American  Pottery  Works,  209 
American  Stilt  Works,  210 
Anchor  Pottery,  242 
Anderson,  Ind.,  382 
Anderson,  James,  Jr.,  159 


Anderson,  Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Co.,  207 
Architectural  terra-cotta,  17,  385  ct  seq. 
Armstrong,  Robert  Williams.  215 
Armstrong,  Stephens,  &  Conkling,  396, 
397 

Arsenal  Pottery,  241 

Artificial  porcelain,  21 

Associated  Artists  of  Cincinnati,  284 

Astbury  &  Maddock,  305 

Atlanta,  Ga.,  306,  386 

Atwood  &  Grueby,  397 

Avon  Pottery,  303 

Bagaly  &  Ford,  165 

Baggott,  Samuel  and  William,  200,  210 
Bailey,  Joseph,  177,  278,  292,  293 
Bainbridge,  Edmund  T.,  157,  159 
Baker,  Jacob,  152 
Baltimore,  Md.,  194,  320 
Bands,  Mr.,  246 
Barber,  Enoch,  175 
Barlow  &  Marsh,  240 
!  Barnhorn,  Clem.,  376 
Barnum,  P.  T.,  396 
Basten,  John,  151 
Batchelder,  Mr.,  172 
Bates,  Reuben,  159 
Bath,  S.  C,  248,  249 
Beach  Pottery,  176,  177 
Beach,  R.  B.,  176,  177,  293 
Beattie,  Herbert  W.,  199 
Beauchamp,  Rev.  W.  M.,  29 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  333,  369 
Beaver  Falls  Art  Tile  Works,  53,  369, 

373,  4i8 
I  Bechtel,  Abraham,  183 


434 


INDEX. 


Bechtel,  Martin  H.,  183 

Beck,  A.  B.,  311 

Beck,  A.  M.,  319 

Bedle,  Hon.  Joseph  D.,  374 

Beerbower  &  Griffen,  268 

Beerbower,  L.  B.,  &  Co.,  118 

Bell,  William,  159 

Belleek  ware,  20,  202,  215,  229,  233,  236 
241,  242 

Benjamin.  Dr.  Marcus,  iv.,  266,  303 

Benjamin,  Hon.  S.  G.  W.,  318 

Bennett  &  Bros.,  194,  199,  200 

Bennett,  Daniel,  194 

Bennett,  Edwin,  194,  197,  198,  322 

Bennett,  Edwin,  Pottery  Co.,  196,  197 

Bennett,  Edwin  H.,  322 

Bennett,  E.'  &  W.,  195,  196,  198 

Bennett  faience,  305 

Bennett,  Haynes  &,  320,  329,  412 

Bennett,  James,  192,  194,  423 

Bennett,  John,  305-308 

Bennett  Pottery,  193 

Bennett,  William,  194 

Bennett,  Yates,  &  Allen,  305 

Bennighof,  Uhl,  &  Co.,  319 

Bennington,  Vt.,  104,  105,  156,  157,  165 

etseq.,   173-175,   181,  186,   187,  244, 

245,  248 
Berge,  Benjamin,  85,  86 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  51 
Big  Stone  Gap,  Va.,  177 
Billingsley,  William,  178 
Binney  &  Ronaldson,  11 1 
Binz,  Heinrich,  375 
Birch,  William,  137 
Bird-in-Hand,  Pa.,  51 
Birmingham,  Pa.,  194 
Bishop,  Dr.  J.  Leander,  46 
Black,  William  K.,  272 
Blakely,  John  S.  and  James,  201 
Blakely,  Woodward,  &  Co.,  201 
Bland,  John  B.,  159 
Blashfield,  J.  M.,  348,  386 
Bloor,  Martin,  &  Co.,  305 
Bloor,  Mr.,  218 
Bloor,  Ott,  &  Booth,  215 
Bloor,  William,  208 
Blountville  C.  H.,  Tenn.,  177 


Boch,  Noah,  163 
Boch,  William,  &  Bro.,  162,  164 
Bockins,  George,  183 
Bodleian  Library,  55 
Bodley,  E.  F.,  &  Co.,  190 
Bonnin,  Gousse,  93,  97,  99 
Booth  Bros.  &  Odell,  308 
Booth,  Ott,  &  Bloor,  215 
Booth,  Richard,  201 
Booth,  Taylor,  292 
Booth,  Ward,  292 
Boston  Athenaeum,  101 
Boston  Fire-Brick  Works,  397 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  260-266 
Boston  Pottery  Co.,  334 
Boston  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  395,  397 
Boulter,  E.  A.  &  A.  L. ,  no 
Boulter,  C.  J.,  108,  no,  152 
Bourg-la-Reine  of  Chelsea,  263 
Bourne,  Mr.  268 
Bowman,  O.  O.,  240 
Bow  Works,  61,  97 
Boyce,  A.  J.,  3 
Boyce  clay  press,  2,  3 
Boyle,  John,  397 
Bradshaw,  George,  334 
Brandywine  Summit,  Pa.,  212 
Braunstein,  F.  W.,  375 
Brewer,  Hon.  John  Hart,  iv.,  215,  218- 
220,  239 

Brewer,  Ott,  &  Co.,  215-218,  233,  236, 

242,  372,  413,  430,  431 
Brick-  and  tile-making,  46 
Brightwood,  Ind.,  397 
British  Museum,  65 
Britton,  Nathaniel  E.,  239 
Brockmann,  C.  E.  274 
Brockmann  Pottery  Co.,  275 
Brockmann,  Tempest,  &  Co.,  274 
Bromley,  John,  215 

Bromley,  William,   215,  216,  233,  236, 

273,  274 
Bromley,  William,  Jr.,  215 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  334 
Broome,  Prof.  Isaac,  iv.,  53,  127,  220- 

224,  362,  367,  370-372,  374,  4io,  418 
Broomneld,  Mr.,  287 
Brownfield,  William,  &  Sons,  160 


INDEX. 


435 


Browning,  Abraham,  184 
Brunt,  Bloor,  Martin,  &  Co.,  305 
Brunt,  Henry,  196 
Brunt,  Henry,  &  Son,  210 
Brunt,  William,  Son,  &  Co.,  201 
Bryan,  William,  137 
Buck,  J.  H.,  108,  134 
Buck,  William  J.,  70 
Bucknall  &  Stevenson,  158 
Budd,  James,  57 
Budd,  Mary,  58 
Bullock,  R.  B.,  191 
Burd,  Charles,  141 
Bureau  of  Ethnology,  30,  45 
Burford  Bros.,  210 
Burgess  &  Co.,  210 
Burgess,  William,  229 
Burlington,  N.  J.,  54,  55 
Burroughs  &  Mountford  Co.,  223,  225, 
430 

Burton,  McNicol,  &  Co.,  210 
Burton,  William,  319 

Callowhill,  James,  368 
Callowhill,  Scott,  270,  331,  368,  369 
Cambridge  Art  Tile  Works,  287,  375 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  88 
Camden,  N.  J.,  179 
Campbell,  J.  A.,  229 
Carpenter,  George  W.,  119 
Carr  &  Clarke,  232 
Carrere  and  Hastings,  379 
Carr,  James,  179,  180,  229 
Carr,  Morrison  &,  179,  252 
Cartlidge,  Charles,  163,  164,  187 
Cartlidge,  Wm.,  163 
Cartwright  Bros.,  209 
Cartwright,  Croxall  &,  210 
Casseday,  Samuel,  159,  161 
Cassedy,  John,  120 
Casting,  10 
Castleberry,  Z.,  386 
Central  New  York  Pottery,  113 
Ceramic  Art  Co.,  235,  237,  366,  413,  430, 
431 

Challinor,  Wood  &,  181 
Chamberlain,  William,  152 
Chamberlin,  Perly,  15*9 


Champion,  Richard,  63,  189 

Chelsea  Bourg-la-Reine,  263 

Chelsea  faience,  262 

Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Tile  Works,  381 

Chelsea  Keramic  Art  Works,  260,  261, 

264,  381,  405 
Chelsea,  Mass.,  16,  260,  265,  347,  405 
Chelsea  Pottery,  U.  S.,  267,  405 
Chemical  stoneware,  179 
Cherokee  Indians,  29,  62 
Chesapeake  Pottery,  320-328,  331,  411, 

412,  430 
Chetwynd,  Cockson  &,  209 
Chetwynd,  Joseph,  209 
Chetwynd,  Wallace  &,  209 
Chicago  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  385 
China,  19 

China  clays,  59  et  seq.,  191,  212 
China  for  Confederate  government,  190 
China  works,  first  in  Phila.,  91  et  seq. 
Cibola,  41 

Cincinnati,  Ohio,  16,  273  et  seq. 
Cincinnati  Art  Pottery  Co.,  299-303,  412 
Cincinnati  Art  School,  376 
Cincinnati  Museum  of  Art,  276,  279,  281- 

283,  288,  301,  302 
Cincinnati  Pottery  Club,  276,  278,  284 
Cincinnati,  woman's  work  in,  275 
Clark,  Decius  W.,  166,  175,  187,  244 
Clark,  Fenton  &,  244,  245 
Clark,  L.  W.,  iv.,  166,  170,  187,  244,  246, 

407 

Clarke,  Edward,  229 
Clarke,  James,  335 
Clarke,  Robert,  &  Co.,  293 
Clay,  Henry,  133,  134,  164 
Clay,  purifying  potter's,  I 
Cleveland,  Mrs.  Grover,  371 
Cleveland,  President  Grover,  383 
Clews,  Henry,  161 
Clews,  James,  156-160 
Cockson  &  Chetwynd,  209 
Coleman,  Fiske  &  Co.,  396 
Columbia  Encaustic  Tile  Co.,  382 
Columbian  Art  Pottery,  242 
Columbian  Pottery,  Philadelphia,  11 1 
Columbus,  397 

Confederate  Government,  190,  250 


43^ 


INDEX. 


Conkling,  Armstrong,   &  Stephens,  396, 
397 

Conkling,  E.  N.,  397 

Connelly,  Thomas,  228,  229 

Cook,  Chas.  H.,  239 

Cook,  Edward,  120 

Cook,  Elias,  239,  241 

Cookworthy,  Wm.,  60,  61 

Cooper,  Charles,  60 

Cooper,  John  J.,  361 

Cope,  Gilbert,  54 

Cope  Pottery,  73 

Cope,  Thomas  P.,  137 

Copeland,  Thomas  H.,  245 

Corlies,  Brinton,  135 

Cottage  City,  Mass.,  335 

Coughclough,  John,  175 

Coultry,  P.  L.,  &  Co.,  276,  299 

Couture,  Thomas,  346 

Covington,  Ky.,  287,  375 

Coxe,  Dr.  Daniel,  54-58 

Coxon  &  Thompson,  238 

Coxon,  Jonathan,  Sr.,  235 

Crackle  ware,  19 

Craddock,  Charles,  309 

Cranch,  E.  P.,  90,  293-295 

Cranch,  Richard,  90 

Cream-colored  ware,  18 

Crescent  Pottery  Co.,  239 

Crolius  Pottery,  63 

Crown  Porcelain  Works,  240 

Crown  Pottery  Co.,  319 

Croxall  tS:  Cartwright,  210 

Croxall,  Jesse,  199 

Croxall,  John,  199 

Croxall,  John  W. ,  &  Sons,  199,  210 

Croxall,  Samuel,  199 

Croxall,  Thomas,  199 

Crystal  Palace  Exhibition,  162,  163,  170, 

180,  182 
Cuddy,  James  McG.,  157 
Curtis,  John,  104 
Cushman,  Charlotte,  255 
Cushman,  Paul,  112,  113 
Cyclopedia  of  American  Biography,  267 

Daily,  Haughwout  &,  182,  183 
Dale  &  Davis,  239 


Dallas,  Frederick,  274,  278,  293 

Dallas  Pottery,  285 

Daly,  Matt  A.,  293,  299 

Danner,  George  H.,  72,  91 

Darragh,  Thomas  F.,  343 

Davies,  Col.  Thos.  J.,  189,  191,  248-250 

Davis,  Bishop,  189 

Davis,  Dale  &,  239 

Davis,  Isaac,  305 

Day,  Alfred,  312,  336 

Day,  Miss  Josephine,  263 

Decoration,  13 

Deetz,  Thomas  B.,  74 

Delaware  Pottery,  228 

Dengler,  F.  X.,  261,  263 

Dewey,  O.  C,  334 

Dewey,  Timothy,  118 

Dillwyn,  Lewis  Weston,  156 

Dixon,  Alexander,  128,  139,  140 

Dodd,  Mrs.  Wm.,  277 

Dominick,  Mrs.  George,  277 

Donaghue,  C.  W.,  242 

Donaldson,  W.  B.,  312 

Dore,  263 

Douglass,  J.  G.,  359 
Doulton  &  Co.,  305-307 
Doulton,  H.,  307 
Doulton  Works,  177 
Drake,  John  C,  183 
Dreer,  Ferdinand  J.,  95,  137 
Dresden  Pottery  Works,  209 
Ducachet,  Dr.,  374 
Duggan,  F.  A.,  242 
Duggan,  Mr.,  238 
Du  Halde,  61 
Dummer,  George,  118 
Durell,  Jonathan,  102 
Dutch  potters,  53 
Dwight,  John,  60 

Eagle  Pottery  Works,  210 

Early  potting  in  America,  53 

East  Big  Stone  Gap,  177 

East  Boston  Pottery,  381 

East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  156,  161,  163,  192 

etseq.,  334 
East  Morrisania  China  Works,  164 
East  Trenton  Pottery  Co.,  242 


INDEX. 


437 


Edwards,  James,  200 

Eger,  Hermann,  179 

Eggers,  Miss,  275 

Egyptian  Pottery  Co.,  242 

Ellicott,  H.  J.,  397 

Ellis,  Mrs.  F.  R.,  277 

Empire  China  Works,  162,  164,  304 

Empire  Pottery,  238 

Enterprise  Pottery  Co.,  228,  242 

Equitable  Pottery  Co.,  242 

Etruria  Pottery,  215,  223,  362,  372,  431 

Edgerton,  Wis.,  332 

Etting,  Col.  Frank  M.,  93 

Evans,  Lewis,  47 

Evans,  Rittenhouse  &,  241,  414 

Evansville,  Ind.,  319 

Evil,  Christian,  339 

Eyre,  Isaac,  69 

Faience,  16 

Faience  Manufacturing  Co.,  313-319,  414 

Falconer,  J.  M.,  255 

Farny,  H.  F.,  408 

Farrar,  Wm.  H.,  186,  188 

Fay,  Charles,  228 

Fell  &  Thropp  Co.,  239 

Fenety,  G.  W.,  262 

Fenton  &  Clark,  244,  245 

Fenton,  Christopher  Weber,  165-170 

Fenton,  Lyman  &,  165,  174,  175,  404 

Fenton,  Norton  &,  157,  165 

Fenton's  Works,  175,  404 

Fillman,  Michael,  84 

Firing,  11 

Fischer,  B.,  353 

Fiske,  Coleman,  &  Co.,  396, 

Flemish  stoneware,  114 

Fletcher,  Miss  Clara,  277 

"Flint  Enamelled"  ware,  166,  404 

Flood,  John,  139 

Flushing,  N.  Y.,  162 

Ford,  Bagaly  &,  165 

Forrest,  Edwin,  254,  258 

Franklin  Institute,  Philadelphia,  98,  99, 

107-109,  116,  118,  119,  121,  130,  131, 

138,  148,  154,  165,  176,  194 
Franzheim,  Charles  W.,  334 
Frederick,  Charles,  152,  402 


Freedley,  Edwin  T.,  184 

Frey,  S.  L.,  112 

Freytag,  Daniel,  115 

Frost,  Mr.,  201 

Frost,  Vodrey  &,  157 

Fry,  Miss  Laura  A.,  277,  282,  283,  337 

Fry,  Theophile,  166 

Frye,  Thomas,  59 

Fulton,  Robert,  132 

Gallimore,  Miss  Flora,  366 
Gallimore,  Jesse,  366 
Gallimore,  Miss  Marian,  366 
Gallimore,  Wm.,  363,  366 
Gallimore,  Wm.  W.,  236,  363-366,  384, 
420 

Galloway  &  Graff,  272 

Garvin,  Wm.,  159 

Gast,  Henry,  118 

Gay  Head  Pottery,  335 

Geer,  Walter,  388 

Gerard,  Mr.,  185 

Germantown,  Mass.,  90 

Gibble,  John,  340 

Gilchrist,  John,  120 

Glasgow  Pottery,  213,  239 

Globe  Pottery  Co.,  210 

Gloucester  China  works,  179,  183-185 

Gloucester,  N.  J.,  405 

Goodwin  Bros.,  200,  333 

Goodwin,  John,  200 

Goodwin,  Taylor,  &  Co.,  200 

Goss,  William  Henry,  60,  215,  216,  365 

Graff,  Galloway  &,  272 

Graham,     Charles,     Chemical  Pottery 

Works,  334 
Gray,  Jerome  B.,  341 
Gray,  Thomas,  245,  407 
Greatbach,  Daniel,  121,  124,  166,  170 
Great  Western  Pottery  Works,  210 
Greeley,  Horace,  170,  174 
Green,  Caleb  S.,  239 
Greenpoint,  N.  Y.,  253,  254,  276,  305, 

313,  406 

Greenwood  Pottery  Co.,  163,  226,  227, 

406,  407,  430 
Griffen  &  Smith,  410 
Griff  en,  Beerbower  &,  268 


438 


INDEX. 


Griffen  China  Co.,  270 
Griffen,  Love,  &  Co.,  269 
Griffen,  Smith,  &  Co.,  269 
Griffen,  Smith,  &  Hill,  268,  410 
Grimly,  Solomon,  50,  51 
Grueby,  Atwood  &,  397 
Gummere,  Barker,  239 

Haig,  James,  116 

Haig,  Thomas,  116,  117 

Hall,  E.  J.,  388 

Hall,  F.  H.,  361 

Hall,  Henry  D.,  165 

Hall,  Dr.  Isaac  H.,  181 

Hall,  S.  C,  365 

Hall,  W.  C,  388 

Hallworth,  Philip,  183,  185 

Hamilton  Road  Pottery,  274,  282 

Hampshire  Pottery,  270,  271,  412 

Hancock,  Frederick,  156 

Hancock,  John,  156 

Hancock,  W.  S.,  239 

Hand,  William,  152,  185,  402 

Hard  paste,  20 

Harker  &  Taylor,  208,  293 

Harker,  Benjamin,  Sr.,  199 

Harker,  George  S.,  199,  208 

Harker  Pottery  Co.,  199,  207 

Harned,  Thomas  B.,  152 

Harper's  Magazine,  284,  306 

Harpignies,  M.,  377 

Harris  Manufacturing  Co.,  362,  374 

Harrison,  Ex-President  Benjamin,  383 

Harrison,  Charles,  156 

Harrison,  John,  165 

Harrison,  Mrs.  Joseph,  137 

Harrison,  Gen'l.  Wm.  Henry,  403 

Harrison,  W.  H.,  120 

Hart,  Charles  Henry,  gi,  128,  141,  401 

Harvey,  Isaac  A.,  201 

Harvey,  Moland,  &  Co.,  272 

Haugh,  B.  O.,  382 

Haughwout  &  Daily,  182,  183 

Haynes  &  Bennett,  412 

Haynes,  Bennett,  &  Co.,  320,  329 

Haynes,  David  Francis,  iv,  16,  320~322j 

326-330.  332 
Haynes,  D.  F.  &  Co.,  411 


Haynes,  Miss  Fannie,  328,  329 

Haynes,  Walter,  320 

Headman,  Andrew,  86 

Headman,  Charles,  86,  87 

Headman,  Michael,  86 

Hearne,  Wm.  L.,  335 

Hemphill,  Judge  Joseph,  133-135,  137, 

138,  140-142,  144,  401 
Hemphill,  Robert  Coleman,  135,  138 
Hemphill,  Mrs.  R.  C,  141,  142 
Hemphill,  Tucker  &,  2,  109,  no,  133, 

134,  139,  J40,  142,  147,  153,  155,  254 
Henderson,  David,  120,  125 
Henderson,  D.  &  J.,  119,  120,  403 
Hendrickson,  W.  C,  242 
Herbert,  J.  T.,  208 
Herbertsville,  N.  J.,  106 
Hernandez  &  Saloy,  313 
Hewitt,  John  G.,  388 
Hews,  Abraham,  88,  89 
Hews,  A.  H„  88 
Hews,  Horatio,  89 
Heylyn,  Edward,  59 
Hildenbrand,  Frederick,  82,  83 
Hill.  Dr.  Asa.  181 
Hill,  Griffen,  &  Smith,  268,  410 
Hinchco,  Benjamin,  160,  161 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  128 
Hockessin,  Del.,  212 
Hodgkin,  Edith,  66 
Hodgkin,  John  Eliot,  F.  S.  A.,  66 
Hoge,  John,  355,  356 
Holabird,  Miss  Alice  Belle,  277 
Holmes,  Prof.  Wm.  H.,  iv.,  30,  32 
Homer,  William  H.,  245 
Hoopes,  Israel,  139 
Horn,  George  L.,  179 
Horner  &  Shirley,  154 
Horseman,  Mr.,  185 
Houdayer,  John  F.,  238 
Houston,  Bernard,  156 
Hughes,  Archbishop,  164 
Hughes,  Samuel,  382 
Hulme,  Thomas,  131 
Hulme,  Tucker  &,  131,  140,  141,  401, 

402 

Hunter,  W.  H.,  336 
Huntington,  Frank,  300 


INDEX. 


439 


Husson,  Appollinaire,  238 
Husson,  Edmund,  238 
Hydrostatic  press,  3 
Hyzer  &  Lewellen,  343-345 

Imperial  Porcelain  Works,  242 

Indian  pottery,  25 

Indiana  Pottery  Co.,  159,  192 

Indianapolis,  Ind.,  359 

Indianapolis  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  397,  398 

Industrial  Pottery  Works,  209 

International  Pottery,  208,  229,  231,  430 

Ipsen,  Widow,  89 

Ironstone,  19 

Isett,  William  A.,  308 

Jackson,  Andrew,  131,  132 
Jackson,  W.  H.,  37 
Jacob,  John  J.,  157 
Jacobus,  Mrs.  Pauline,  332 
Jagou,  Peter,  48 

Jeffords,  J.  E.,  &  Co.,  251,  252,  366 
Jennings,  John  S.,  117 
Jensen,  J.  L. ,  164 

Jersey  City  Pottery,  118,  122,  166,  192, 

260,  403,  424 
Jersey  Porcelain  and  Earthenware  Co., 

118 

Jesse  Dean  Decorating  Co.,  242 
Jewitt,  Llewellynn,  56,  59-61,  365 
"Jigger,"  5,  6 
Johnson,  Mrs.  Moses,  139 
Joiner,  Joseph,  398 

"Jolly,"  5,  7 

Jones,  Joshua,  241 

Jones,  Josiah,  187 

Jones,  White,  &  McCurdy,  186 

Kaolin,  S.  C,  175,  186,  189,  405 
Keam,  T.  V.,  38 
Kearns,  Anthony,  192,  194 
Keene,  N.  H.,  270,  271 
Keller,  George  B.,  183 
Kelly,  James  E.,  266,  267 
Kendall  family,  273 
Keys,  Samuel,  359 
Kick-wheel,  5 
Kilns,  10,  11 


Kimball,  Francis  H.,  391 

Kimble,  Warren,  242 

King,  Mrs.  191 

Kline,  Peter,  73 

Klinker,  Christian,  70 

Knowles,  Homer  S.,  202 

Knowles,  Isaac  W. ,  201 

Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Anderson  Co.,  207 

Knowles,  Taylor,  &  Knowles  Co.,  201  et 

seq.,  310,  430 
Knowles,  Willis  A.,  202 
Koch,  A.  W.,  375 
Kremer,  Louis,  365 
Kurth,  Charles,  342 

La  Belle  Pottery  Co.,  308 

Lacey,  Thomas,  69 

Lacy,  Israel,  212 

La  Fontaine,  263 

Lambeth  Pottery,  305-307 

Landers,  Jackson,  361 

Langenbeck,  Karl,  355 

Lathe,  potter's,  7 

Laughlin  Bros.,  209 

Laughlin,  Homer,  209,  310,  334 

Laughlin,  Shakespeare,  310 

Lawshe,  Alfred,  363 

Lawton,  John,  175 

Lawton,  Mr.,  185 

Leach,  Stephens  &,  397 

Leader,  Benjamin  V/.,  368 

Lee,  Benjamin  F.,  363 

Lee,  Francis  B.,  57 

Lee,  John,  175 

Lee,  Joseph  G. ,  202 

Lee,  Pope  &,  242 

Leek,  Wm.  and  Charles,  175 

Lefebvre,  Jules,  368 

Leidy,  John,  74-76 

Leman,  Johanes,  84 

Lenox,  Walter  S.,  235 

Leonard,  Mrs.  E.  G.,  277,  284 

Levigating  mills,  269 

Lewellen,  Hyzer  &,  343-345 

Lewis,  Jacob,  157,  159 

Lewis  Pottery  Co.,  157,  159 

Lilly,  George,  382 

Lincoln  Pottery  Co.,  229 


44Q 


INDEX. 


Lippincott 's  Magazine,  127 
Lock,  Mr.,  185 
Locker,  Thomas,  179 
Lockett,  Frank,  164 
Long,  W.  A.,  336 
Longworth,  Joseph,  285 
Lonhuda,  16 

Lonhuda  Pottery  Co.,  336,  414 
Louisiana  Porcelain  Works,  313 
Louisville,  Ky.,  156,  157 
Love,  Griffen,  &  Co.,  269 
Low  art  tiles,  417,  419 
Low  Art  Tile  Co.,  346,  351 
Low  Art  Tile  Works,  347,  381 
Low,  Daniel,  271 
Low,  Hon.  John,  346,  348 
Low,  John  F.,  348 
Low,  John  G.,  261,  262,  346,  352 
Low,  J.  G.  &  J.  F.,  348 
Lukens,  Abel,  184 

Lycett,  Edward,  iv.,  122,  123,  183,  209, 

314-319 
Lycett,  F.,  319 
Lycett,  James,  105 
Lycett,  Joseph,  317,  319 
Lycett,  W.,  123,  306,  319 
Lyman,  Alanson  Potter,  165,  175,  176 
Lyman  &  Fenton,  165,  174,  175,  404 
Lyman,  Fenton,  &  Park,  165 
Lyon,  W.  W.,  361 

Machines,  potter's,  3,  383,  384 
Mackey,  C.  C,  139 
Maddock,  Astbury  &,  305 
Maddock,  Thomas,  228 
Magowan,  Alpaugh  &,  238 
Maize,  Adam,  339 

Majolica,  14,  18,  241,  268,  270,  308,  314, 

319,  323,  410,  411 
Manigault,  Dr.  G.  E.,  188 
Marks  and  monograms,  399  et  seq. 
Marquis  of  Rockingham,  18 
Marsh,  Barlow  &,  240 
Marshall,  Chief-Justice,  164 
Marshall,  Mrs.  Thomas  W.,  145 
Martha's  Vineyard,  335 
Martin,  Brunt,  Bloor,  &  Co.,  305 
Maryland  Institute,  194 


Mayer  Pottery  Co.,  333 

Mayer  Pottery  Manufacturing  Co.,  241 

Mayer,  Fred  E.,  330 

Mayer,  Joseph  S.,  241 

McBirney,  David,  215 

McClellan,  General,  372 

McCormick,  John  D.,  54,  104 

McCourtney,  J.  R.,  334 

McCurdy,  Jones,  &  White,  186 

McDonald,  W.  P.,  299 

Mcllvaine,  Mrs.  William,  141 

Mclntire,  Mr.,  184 

McKinley,  Gov.  Wm.,  207 

McLaughlin,  Miss  M.  Louise,  276-280, 

283,  284 
McLoyd,  Charles,  35,  37 
McNamee  &  Co.,  191 
McNicol,  Burton  &  Co.,  210 
McNicol,  H.  A.,  209 
McNicol  Pottery  Co.,  200 
McPherson,  Joseph,  240 
McVay,  DeWitt  C,  363 
Mead,  Dr.,  115 
Meagher,  Frederick,  245 
Mear,  Frederick,  156 
Mear,  Salt  &,  201 
Mease,  Dr.  James,  99,  100 
Menlo  Park  Ceramic  Co.,  377-381 
Mercer  Pottery  Co.,  239 
Meredith,  Sir  William,  61 
Mersman,  Ferdinand,  287,  376,  377 
Meteyard,  Miss  Eliza,  61 
Metropolitan  Museum,  N.  Y.,  125,  181 
Miles,  Thomas,  57 
Milledgeville,  Ga.,  251 
Miller,  Abraham,  107-110,  343 
Miller,  Andrew,  107 
Miller,  J.  Dickinson,  120 
Miller,  Prof.  L.  W.,  330 
Miller,  Matthew,  Jr.,  183 
Mitchell,  H.  R.,  367 
Mitchell,  Hon.  James  T.,  142,  143 
Moland,  Harvey,  &  Co.,  272 
Moore,  Enoch  and  Thomas,  175 
Moorhead,  A.  S.,  259 
Moorhead  Clay  works,  259 
Moravians,  51,  338 
Morgan,  George,  151 


INDEX. 


441 


Morgan,  Joseph,  152,  402 
Morgan,  Matt,  303 
Morley,  George,  &  Son,  201 
Morrison  &  Carr,  179,  252 
Morris,  George  Anthony,  93,  97 
Morris  &  Willmore,  414 
Morris,  W.  T.,  242 
Morrisville,  Pa.,  381 
Morse,  Prof.  Edward  S.,  iv.,  48 
Moses,  James,  239 
Moses,  John,  213-215,  239 
Mound-builders'  pottery,  31 
Mould-making,  7 

Mountford,  Burroughs  &,  223,  225,  430 

Mountford,  Rowe  &,  209 

Mueller,  Herman,  354,  357,  358,  420 

Midler,  Karl,  254,  255 

Mullowny,  Capt.  John,  in,  112 

Museum  of  Practical  Geology,  65,  117 

Muzzey,  William  M.,  138 

Nase,  John,  79-81 
Nash,  Mr.,  113 
Nashville  Art  Pottery,  334 
National  Kaolin  Co.,  212 
National  Museum,  36 
Natural  porcelain,  21 
Neesz,  Johannes,  79 
Negus,  William  S.,  144 
Nelson,  William,  57 

New  England  Pottery  Co.,  187,  244-249, 

407,  408,  429 
New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  57 
New  Jersey  Pottery  Co.,  239 
New  Orleans,  313 

Newton,  Miss  Clara  Chipman,  277,  280, 

281,  284,  288 
New  York  City  Pottery,  180,  252 
New  York  Architectural  Terra-Cotta  Co., 

388,  391-394 
Nichols,  Mrs.  M.  L.,  277-279,  285,  286, 

288 

North  Cambridge,  Mass.,  88 
Northern  Liberties,  Philadelphia,  116 
Norton  &  Fenton,  157,  165 
Norton,  E.  L.,  104 
Norton,  John  and  William,  104 
Norton,  Julius,  165 


Norwalk,  Ct.,  105,  106,  181 

Norwich,  Ct.,  103 

Novelty  Pottery  Works,  200,  210 

Oberholtzer,  Mrs.  S.  L.,  103 

O'Connell,  Daniel,  124,  177 

O'Connor,  E.  M.,  210 

Odell  &  Booth  Bros.,  308 

Ohio  Valley  China  Co.,  311,  335 

Old  Bridge,  N.  J.,  106 

Oliphant  &  Co.,  228 

Onondaga  Pottery  Co.,  333 

Ormsby,  Robert,  157 

Osborne,  Arthur,  350-352,  4r7,  419 

Ott  &  Brewer  Co.,  215-218,  233,  236, 

242,  372,  413,  43o,  43i 
Ott,  Booth,  &  Bloor,  215 
Owen,  Hugh,  63 
Owen  Tile  Co.,  308 

Palmer,  Joseph  C,  90 

Pardee  Works,  The  C,  383 

Parian,  20,  166,  172,  173,  189,  220,  324 

Paris  granite,  19 

Park  Porcelain  Works,  367 

Park,  Lyman,  &  Fenton,  165 

Pate  dure,  21 

Pate  tendre,  21 

Pauline  Pottery  Co.,  332,  413,  431 

Paxson,  Chief- Justice,  69 

Paxson,  Thomas,  69 

Peale,  Charles  Wilson,  136 

Pearson,  Edward  M.,  308-311 

Pearson,  Edward  &  Son,  309 

Peeler,  Anson,  165,  187,  248,  249 

Pegg,  Daniel,  46 

Pellegrini,  P.,  386 

Pennington,  John,  140 

Pennsylvania  Hist.  Soc,  128 

Pennsylvania  Museum,  67,  71,  82,  88, 
115,  125,  141,  147,  148,  174,  176,  185, 
268,  291,  297,  303,  330,  367,  401,  425 

Peoria,  111.,  175,  244,  245 

Perine,  M.,  154 

Perine,  T.  P.,  154 

Perry,  Mrs.  Aaron  F.,  284,  306 

Perry,  Sanford  S.,  178 

Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.,  383 


442 


INDEX. 


Perth  Amboy  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  386-390 

Peyrau,  A.,  341 

Philadelphia  City  Pottery,  251 

Philadelphia  Water  Works,  129 

Phillips,  J.  W.  245 

Phillips,  Moro,  178 

Phoenixville,  Pa.,  267 

Phcenixville  Pottery,  267-269,  410 

Phoenixville   Pottery,  Kaolin,  and  Fire- 

Brick  Co.,  267 
Pickel,  Baltes,  241 
Picken,  John,  361 
Pies,  Stephen,  175 
Pipes,  smoking,  28,  338 
Pitman,  Miss  Agnes,  277,  284 
Pitman,  Benn,  275 
Pittsburgh  Encaustic  Tile  Co.,  359 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  194,  201 
Plimpton,  Mrs.  C.  A.,  277,  281,  282 
Plimpton,  L.  F.,  283 
Plot,  Dr.,  46 
"  Plungers,"  3 
Poole  &  Stockton,  242 
Pope  &  Lee,  242 
Porcelain,  19 
Porcelain,  artificial,  21 
Porcelain,  hard,  20,  126,  253 
Porcelain,  natural,  21 
Porcelain,  processes  of  firing  hard,  258 
Porcelain,  soft,  20,  21 
Porcher,  Mrs.  J.  S.,  189 
Port  Richmond  Pottery  Co.,  251 
Post,  Henry,  Jr.,  118 
Potter's  clay,  purifying,  1 
Potters'  Co-operative  Co.,  209 
Potters'  Supply  Co.,  207 
Potter's  wheel,  4 
Preparation  of  clays,  1 
Press,  clay,  2 
Pressing,  9 

Priestman,  James,  196,  324 
Prime,  Dr.  William  C,  325 
Princeton  College,  174,  334 
Printing,  transfer,  13,  120 
Processes  of  manufacture,  1 ,  8 
Prospect  Hill  Pottery,  239 
Prosser,  Richard,  181,  348 
Providential  Tile  Works,  270,  367,  374 


Pruden,  Mr.,  117 
Pueblo  pottery,  35 
Putnam,  G.  P.,  173,  388 

Quarll,  Joseph  S.,  139,  140 
Queen  Charlotte,  16 
Queensware,  16,  105 
Quincy,  Mass.,  90 

Randall,  Edward,  57,  58 

Ranney,  Willis,  159 

Rau,  Robert,  51,  339 

Rawlinson  manuscripts,  55 

Read,  Alexander,  137 

Reade,  George,  364 

"  Rebekah  "  tea-pot,  195,  196 

Reflets  me'talliqties,  318 

Reflets  naere's,  318 

Reiss,  Wm.  Sr.,  183 

Remmey,  Henry,  64 

Remmey,  John,  63,  64 

Remmey,  John  F.,  64 

Remmey,  Joseph  Henry,  63,  64 

Remmey,  Richard  C,  64 

Renwick,  James,  385 

Rice,  Taplin,  &  Co.,  5 

Richards,  J.,  341 

Rich  Hill,  Pa.,  86 

Richmond,  A.  G.,  119,  120 

Ridgway,  121,  163 

Ridgway,  J.  &  W.,  161 

Ridgway,  William,  161,  162 

Rigby,  T.,  &  Co.,  200 

Rittenhouse,  Evans,  &  Co.,  241,  414 

Riverside  Knob  Manufacturing  Co.,  210 

Robertson  Art  Tile  Co.,  381 

Robertson,  A.  W.,  260,  264 

Robertson,  A.  W.  &  H.  C,  260 

Robertson  &  Co.,  240 

Robertson,  G.  W.,  381 

Robertson,  Hugh  C,  260,  262-264,  266, 

267,  382,  405 
Robertson,  James,  260,  264 
Robertson,  James,  &  Sons,  260,  381,  405 
Robertson,  Thomas,  397 
Robinson,  James  H.,  369 
Robitzek,  D.,  164 
Roche,  Young,  Toland,  &Co.,  180 


INDEX. 


443 


Rockafeller,  William,  378,  379 
Rockingham,  Marquis  of,  18 
Rockingham  ware,  18,  194,  195 
Ronaldson,  Binney  &,  in 
Roofing  tiles,  48-52 

Rookwood  Pottery,  16,  177,  278,  284- 

299>  303,  376,  408-410,  430 
Rose,  Mr.,  302 
Roundabout,  N.  J.,  106 
Rouse,  John  Owen,  122,  124,  125 
Rowe  &  Mountford,  209 
Rynex,  John,  138 

Saggers,  11 

Saloy,  Hernandez  &,  313 
Salt  &  Mear,  201 
Salt,  James,  156 

Sampson  Pottery  Co.,  Tempest,  Brock- 

mann  &,  274 
Sanders,  John,  161 
San  ford,  Charles  R.,  169 
Sang-de-Boeuf  of  Chelsea,  264,  265 
Sang-de-Chelsea,  265 
Savery,  Peleg  B.,  184 
Sayreville,  N.  J.,  106 
Scharf,  Mr.,  184 
Schreiber  &  Co.,  267 
Schreiber,  W.  A.  H.,  59 
Scott,  George,  274 
Scott's  Sons,  George,  274 
Scott,  Gen.  Winfield  S.,  395,  396 
Scribjters  Magazine,  267 
Sears,  Miss  Kate  B.,  237 
Sebring  Bros.  &  Co.,  209 
Seebold,  Philip,  339 
Seixas,  David  G. ,  115 
Semi-porcelain,  19 
Setley,  George,  183 
Seymour,  Israel,  112,  156 
Sgraffiato  ware,  65  et  sea.,  402 
Shaddinger,  H.  F.,  73 
Sheetz,  Jacob,  184 
Shepley  &  Smith,  178 
Sherrard,  R.,  jr.,  312 
Shirayamadani,  Kataro,  293,  297 
Shirley,  Horner  &,  154 
Shirley,  William  W.,  118 
Sholl,  Jacob,  83,  84,  402 


Shultz,  John  H.,  184 
Sibley,  G.  B.,  166,  173,  176 
Silliman  &  Goodrich,  173 
Simms,  B.  C,  208 
Slip-decorated  ware,  65  et  sea. 
Slip  kilns,  2 

Slosson,  Mrs.  Annie  Trumbull,  191 

Smith,  A.  E.,  106 

Smith,  C.  H.  L.,  252 

Smith,  Esther,  69 

Smith,  Griffen,  &  Hill,  268,  410 

Smith,  Griffen  &,  269,  410 

Smith,  Henry,  241 

Smith,  Horace  J.,  140 

Smith,  Joseph,  69,  70 

Smith,  J.  T.,  377,  381 

Smith,  Dr.  Lettie  A.,  70 

Smith,  Shepley  &,  178 

Smith,  Thomas,  70 

Smith,  Thomas  C,  252-254,  276 

Smith,  Thomas  C,  &  Sons,  406 

Snow,  Rev.  F.  E.,  125,  175 

Snyder,  Gov.,  in 

Soft  paste,  20,  21 

Souderton,  Pa.,  75 

South  Amboy,  N.  J.,  54,  57,  63,  106, 
156,  179 

Southern  Porcelain  Co.,  186,  188,  189, 
405 

Southern  Terra-Cotta  Works,  386 
South  Kensington  Museum,  65 
South  Norwalk,  Ct.,  175,  181 
Southwark,  Phila.,  96,  97 
Sparkes,  Mr.,  307 
Speeler,  Henry,  207,  208 
Speeler,  Taylor  &,  211,  239 
Speeler  Works,  229 
Spencer,  Graham,  139 
Spencer,  Miss  Mary,  277 
Spiegel,  Mrs.  Amanda,  143 
Spiegel,  Isaac,  144,  152,  155 
Spiegel,  John,  155 
Spring  Mills,  Pa.,  259 
Stanbery,  George  A.,  353 
Standard  Pottery  Co.,  209 
Star  Encaustic  Tile  Co.,  359 
Staudacher,  Lorenze,  180 
Steele,  John,  120 


444 


INDEX. 


Stephens,  Armstrong,  &  Conkling,396,3g7 

Stephens  &  Leach,  397 

Stephens,  James  P.,  226 

Stephens,  Tams  &  Co.,  226 

Steubenville,  Ohio,  16,  336 

Steubenville  Pottery  Co.,  311-313 

Stevens,  Alexander  H.,  186 

Stevenson,  A.,  158 

Stevenson,  Bucknall  &,  158 

Stickney,  W.  J.,  163 

Stiegel,  Baron  William  Henry,  91 

Stilz,  William  F.,  398 

Stockton,  Poole  &,  242 

Stofflet,  Henry,  73 

Stoneware,  17,  63,  64,  105,  112-114,  116, 

154,  156,  177,  173,  334 
Storer,  Mrs.  Bellamy,  285,  286,  288,  296 
Stout,  Abraham  or  Isaac,  70 
Sturgis,  C.  W.,  340 
Sturgis,  Joseph,  340 
Sturgis,  Samuel,  340 
Swan  Hill  Pottery,  179 
Swartzlander,  Miss  Laura,  70 
Swope,  Jacob,  51,  339 
Swope,  Zuriel,  339 
Syng,  Phillip,  338 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  333 

Taft,  J.  S.  &  Co.,  270,  412 

Tams,  James,  226 

Tams,  Stephens,  &  Co.,  226 

Taplin,  Rice,  &  Co.,  5 

Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  308 

Tatham,  John,  54,  56 

Tatler  Decorating  Co.,  242 

Tatler,  Elijah,  164 

Taylor  &  Speeler,  211,  239 

Taylor,  Goodwin,  &  Co.,  200 

Taylor,  Harker  &.  208,  293 

Taylor,  James,  199,  208,  238,  386,  390 

Taylor,  Col.  John  N.,  202,  206 

Taylor,  Knowles,  &  Anderson  Co. ,  207 

Taylor,  Knowles,  &  Knowles,  201  et  seq., 

3io,  430 
Taylor,  Robert  Minton,  361 
Taylor,  W.  W.,  iv.,  288,  296,  298 
Taylor,  Zachary,  164 
Temperance  Hill  Pottery,  178 


Tempest,  Brockmann,  &  Co.,  274 
Tempest,  Brockmann,  &  Sampson  Pottery 

Co.,  274 
Tempest,  M.  &  N.,  274 
Terra-cotta,  17,  88,  272 
Terra-cotta,  architectural,  17,  385  etseq. 
Terry,  James,  28,  29,  36,  68,  69,  73,  103, 

104 

Tests,  porcelain,  20,  21 
Thatcher,  C.  W.  104 
Thomas,  Mrs.  F.  S.,  265 
Thomas,  Gabriel,  54 
Thomas,  R.,  &  Sons,  210 
Thompson,  C.  C,  &  Co.,  208 
Thompson,  Coxon  &,  238 
Thompson,  J.  C.,  208 
Thompson,  Josiah,  208 
Thompson,  Rockland,  138 
Thropp,  Fell  &  Co.,  239 
Thropp,  Samuel  E.,  239 
Throwing,  8 
Throwing  wheel,  4 
Tile  press,  383,  384 
Tiles,  hard  porcelain,  256 
Tiles,  ornamental,  343  et  seq. 
Tiles,  roofing,  48-52 
Trtigle,  George,  120 
Tittery,  Joshua,  54 
Tobacco  pipes,  28,  338 
Toft,  Thomas  and  Ralph,  65 
Toland,  Young,  Roche,  &  Co.,  180 
Tools,  potter's,  3 
Townsend,  George  Alfred,  393 
Transfer  printing,  13,  120 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  211  et  seq.,  362 
Trenton  China  Co.,  238,  335 
Trenton  Potteries  Co. ,  242 
Trenton  Pottery  Co.,  200,  238 
Trenton  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  240 
Trent  Tile  Co.,  362-365,  367,  374,  384, 

419,  420 
Trotter,  Alexarder,  in 
Troxel,  Samuel,  78 
Troy,  Ind.,  157,  158 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  112,  156 
Troy  on,  M.,  346 

Trumbull- Prime   Collection,    118,  143, 
174,  334 


INDEX. 


445 


Tucker  &  Hemphill,  2,  log,  no,  133, 
134,  139,  140,  142,  147,  153,  155,  254 

Tucker  &  Hulme,  131,  140,  141,  401,  402 

Tucker,  Benjamin,  127 

Tucker,  Thomas,  128,  130,  135,  137,  138, 
145 

Tucker,  Mrs.  Thomas,  146,  147,  149 
Tucker,  W.  E.,  133 

Tucker,  William    Ellis,  126,  127,  130, 

132,  133,  139,  140,  423 
Turner,  Nathaniel,  122,  125 
Turning,  9 
Tyler's  Port,  Pa.,  79 
Tyndale,  Mrs.  Annie  C,  140,  164 
Tyndale,  Gen.  Hector,  145,  165 

Uhl,  Pennighof,  &  Co.,  319 

Union  Porcelain  Works,  162, 164,252-258, 

276,  406 
Union  Pottery  Co.,  241 
United  States  Encaustic  Tile  Co.,  359, 

361,  421 

United  States  Pottery,  Bennington,  Vt., 
165,  173-176,  181,  186,  187,  244,  343, 
404,  405,  424 

Utica,  N.  Y.,  113 

Valentien,  A.  R.,  291,  293 

Van  Briggle,  A.,  299 

Van  Wickle's  Pottery,  106 

Varick,  John  V.  B.,  120 

Vaughan,  Samuel,  123 

Vickers,  Thomas,  John,  and  Paxson,  103 

Vivian,  M.,  152,  402 

Vodrey  &  Brother,  201 

Vodrey  &  Frost,  157 

Vodrey,  Jabez,  161,  201 

Vodrey,  Woodward  &,  201 

Volkmar  Ceramic  Co.,  380 

Volkmar,  Charles,  377,  378,  380 

Walcott,  Benjamin  D.,  398 
Walker,  Andrew  Craig,  152,  402 
Walker,  F.  W.,  369,  370 
Walker,  George,  178 
Wallace  &  Chetwynd,  209 
Ward,  John,  364 
Warder,  Richard,  338 


Warwick  China  Co.,  334 

Washington,  General,  123,  136,  137,  222, 

254,  371,  374 
Washington,  Mrs.,  222 
Washington  Pottery,   Philadelphia,  in, 

112,  241 
Way,  Jacob,  140 

Wayne,  Maj.-Genl.  Anthony,  136 
Wayne,  Col.  Isaac,  136 
Wayne,  Hon.  William,  136 
Weber,  Adam,  1 
Webster,  Daniel,  164 
Wedgwood,  John,  117 
Wedgwood,  Josiah,  16,  61,  62,  97,  156, 
181 

Weikel,  Peter,  183 

West  Chester,  Pa.,  51,  144 

West,  Esther  H.,  140 

West  Philadelphia,  Pa. ,  397 

West  Troy,  N.  Y.,  178 

West  Virginia  China  Co.,  335 

Weston,  Mass.,  88 

Wetherill,  John  Price,  141 

Wetherill,  Mrs.  Francis  D.,  141 

Wetherill,  Samuel  P.,  141 

Wheat,  George  K.,  308 

Wheatley,  Thomas  J.,  299,  300 

Wheel,  potter's,  4 

Wheeler,  L.  D.,  181 

Wheeling  Pottery  Co.,  308,  310,  334 

Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  308,  311,  334 

White,  Charles  N.,  113 

White  granite  ware,  19 

White,  McCurdy,  &  Jones,  186 

White,  N.  A.,  113 

White,  Nicholas  and  William,  113 

White,  Noah,  113 

White,  William,  241 

Whitehead,  C.  Louis,  369 

Wilcox,  Dr.  S.  R.,  173 

Wilkes,  Peter,  5,  384 

Willard,  W.  F.,  335 

Willets,  Daniel,  232 

Willets,  Edmund  R.,  232 

Willets,  Joseph,  232 

Willets  Manufacturing  Co.,  232-235,  413, 

430,  43i 
William,  Emperor,  383 


446 


INDEX. 


Williams,  J.  S.,  70 
Willis,  Mrs.  Edward,  188,  189 
Willmore,  F.  R.,  242 
Willmore,  Morris  &,  414 
Wilson,  Samuel,  ifoi 
Wilson,  William  L.,  259 
Wilson's  Landing,  Va.,  178 
Winkle,  Andrew,  388 
Winkle,  Joseph,  388 
Winkle  Terra-Cotta  Co.,  388 
Winn,  William,  58 
Winterbotham,  Miss  Ruth  M.,  361,  362 
421 

Wintter  &  Co.,  180 
Wolfe,  William,  177 
Woman's  work  in  Cincinnati,  275 
Wood  &  Challinor,  181 
Wood,  Enoch,  175,  181,  182 
Wood,  John,  181 


Wood,  Thomas,  181 
Woodbridge,  N.  J.,  65 
Woodward,  Blakely,  &  Co.,  201 
Woodward  &  Vodrey,  201 
Woolverton,  John,  239 
Woram,  William,  182 
Worcester,  Mass.,  157 
Wylie,  John,  &  Son,  210 
Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  So- 
ciety, 26 

Yates,  Bennett,  &  Allen,  305 
Yellow  ware,  18 

Young,  Roche,  Toland,  &  Co.,  180 
Young,  William,  &  Sons,  232 

Zanesville,  Ohio,  353 
Zell,  Miss  Hannah  A.,  174 
I  Zorn,  Charles,  339 


THE  KN0WLES,  TAYL0R  & 


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MANUFACTURES, 
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Our  Royal  Blue  Porcelain  decorated  in  under- 
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country  to  imitate  it,  and  our  patterns  have 
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Trade  Mark 


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Henry  Brunt 

MANAGER 

Jos.  L.  Sullivan 

SECY. 


BALTIMORE 
MD. 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 


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and  other  specialties 

Japan  in  Hrt  ano  Ifnoustq? 


WITH  A  GLANCE  AT  JAPANESE  MANNERS 
AND  CUSTOMS.  TRANSLATED  FROM  THE 
FRENCH  OF  FELIX  REGAMEY,  BY  M.  FRENCH- 
SHELDON  AND  ELI  LEMON-SHELDON.  12MO, 
WITH  IOO  DESIGNS  BY  THE  AUTHOR  $1.75 

This  work  will  be  found  to  include,  among  other  subjects,  chapters 
on  Woodwork,  Metal-work,  Ceramics,  Textile  Fabrics,  Lacquer,  and 
the  Graphic  Arts. 

"  It  abounds  in  instruction,  brief,  precise,  and  decisive,  on  the  crafts,  industries, 
conditions  of  labor,  and  processes  of  manufacture.  .  .  .  His  pen  is  vivid,  alert, 
and  picturesque.  On  the  other  hand  his  drawings  have  so  much  verve  and  so  much 
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de  Paris. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


NEW  YORK 

27  West  Twenty-third  Street 


LONDON 

24  Bedford  Street,  Strand 


The  Rookwood  Pottery 


of  Cincinnati  has  its  history  told  in  some  pages 
of  this  volume.  Its  future  will  interest  all  those 
who  recognize  its  present  unique  position. 

It  will  continue  to  work  out  the  ideas  upon 
which  its  success  has  been  established,  and  these 
ideas  are  to  give  the  freest  play  to  individual 
artistic  expression  through  methods  which  stamp 
a  consistent  character  upon  the  entire  production. 
The  results  will  be  seen  in  increasing  technical 
excellence,  and  in  the  gradual  introduction  of 
new  styles,  but  above  all,  the  aim  will  be  a  high 
artistic  quality.  The  possibilities  of  Rookwood 
have  been  indicated,  but  in  every  department 
work  is  going  on  which  should  show  in  time  an 
attainment  far  beyond  the  present. 


IS? 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


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